Americans Have More Fun
by Lara5321
Summary: Dumbledore, in his desperate need for a DADA teacher, hires an free spirited, American, witch.Some teachers disaproove of her, some don't.Will it remain to be legal for Sarah to stay, when her own country wants her out, so she won't complicate the war.
1. Default Chapter

I sat at me desk thoughtfully. I was out of a job. Not that I ever had one in the first place. I sort of just shuffled around baby sitting, working for stores and shops. I've never moved. I'm a little nervous; I've lived in the same house ever since I was 18. So you can imagine what it's like moving to an entirely different country.

I had a friend when I was 11. She moved a lot. She was born in Alabama, moved to Virginia for 6 months, back to Alabama for 6 months, back to Virginia for 5 years, to Maryland for 2 years, than moved to Florida. I don't know where she went from there. I lost contact with her.

She was a very nice girl with a pretty face. She was interesting and fun to be around. It was hard to get mad at a girl like Lauren Caps. She told me once, "It doesn't matter how many times you move. You can get used to it, but it's hard not to get attached to the people you meet and live with for over a year."

She didn't cry the day she left. I was surprised. On the phone with her when she was in the house in Vero Beach, she said she normally didn't cry. She said she always cried when she left, when she was driving to a new state.

I understand Lauren a little bit better now, as I packed my bags for London. Perhaps you're wondering, "This doesn't seem like a story about Hogwarts to me." But you're wrong. I am indeed a witch, I just never liked witchcraft. I attended a day school for witches in Maryland, and I never liked it. Was I talented? Yes.

I suppose that why the headmaster (I forgot his name…I think it started with a D) asked me to teach defense against the dark arts. As I said before, I don't like magic. So I declined. He said he was in desperate need for someone to occupy that position, but again I declined. He actually came to me in person, asking again for me to take the job. Once again, however, I said no.

He asked me if, perhaps, I would be able to maybe teach only occasionally. Like, only 2 weeks out of a month. I told him I didn't like to travel and I wasn't willing to go back and forth between countries every month, and that I didn't have money to by a house near his school. He explained that it was a boarding school and that I could stay there without any charge. I sighed, realizing that I was running out of excuses fast. I threw one last defense out. "It wouldn't pay enough," I said, "2 weeks out of a month employment was hardly enough money to live by. He looked at me, desperate, "You could teach another subject, for the 6th and 7th years. What about an extra curricular to keep them busy? Ever considered teaching Occlumency?"

I knew I didn't want to. He knew I didn't want to. So I said I couldn't do it. He nodded and said that he understood. I was grateful that he didn't press the matters. He gave me a number and told me to call it if I changed me mind, then he left.

It wasn't until 2 months later, in late august, that I called him back and asked if the job was still open. He said yes, and that is why I'm packing. I am spineless, I know. But I owed 3000 dollars and as a current cashier of Target I couldn't pay the money back with an 8.50 an hour salary.

When I finished packing, I went to airport with a ticket in hand. I boarded a plane and flew to London. The headmaster asked me if I wanted to travel by floo, or travel by the muggle way. I scarcely need to say which form of transportation I accepted.

When I arrived in London, a cab was arranged to pick me up and drive me to Kings Cross station. My father had been here before; he told me that was where he first met my mother. You see, my mom was a witch, and she met him when she had graduated from Hogwarts. When she had come off the train, she had tripped over his luggage and he caught her before she hit the ground. He divorced her when she told him that she was a witch, however. I was 10. Maybe that's why I don't like magic, I don't know. Perhaps I thought if I were a witch, I would be shunned by the community.

As I reached the station, I pulled out the ticket that the headmaster had sent me, to my dismay, by owl. On it read "Platform 9 and 3 quarters". Well I had never traveled on a train before, unless you count the light rail that I rode in Baltimore, but that didn't exactly have platforms, so I figured that the platform on the ticket was real. I was on platform 8. I continued down until I was at 9. I continued walking, expecting to see platform 9 and a half, 9 and a forth. But I didn't see any platforms like that. The next one I was at was platform 10.

Confusion was etched in my brain as I walked back to platform 9 and saw something incredible that I had not at all expected to see. A boy with red hair was running at the platform.

I was a bit surprised at first, prepared to inform this boy of his idiocy when he crashed and hurt himself. But he didn't. I didn't see him. He disappeared. The same thing happened with a red headed girl. Than with a boy with black hair (who looked slightly familiar), and a girl with messy brown hair. So I followed their suit, frightened at would happen, but reassured that it was only magic.

You might wonder, since I am a witch, why it would seem odd to see people disappearing into a brick wall. I hadn't been exposed to magic since I had graduated from the Penn Forest Academy. The academy I had gone to was a very poor school and was all my mother could afford. Penn Forest had not even compared to the 2 other private schools in the area. North Cross, like Penn Forest, was a day school, but it was much more elaborate than the Academy. The other school, the wealthiest of the three, was a boarding school located in Virginia. It was called the Salem Witch Academy. It was a beautiful school. I had begged my mom to let me attend. We visited it. But she didn't allow me to go.

Another girl had disappeared through the barrier. She was very pretty, with long, dark brown hair and dark eyes. I saw a woman a little older then me watch her husband go through the barrier. She was about to go through herself, but I touched her arm and smiled at her. She stared at me.

"Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to get on-"

"You're a bit old to be a first year aren't you?" The red haired woman said suspiciously.

"Oh I'm not a student, I'm a teacher-"

"Professor Bern?" asked a man's voice. I turned around. A man with patched robes was standing a yard away. "I'm Remus Lupin. I'm the other defense teacher," he said.

I smiled gratefully. "Oh. I'm Sarah,"

"Yes, I know. It's alright Molly," He said to the red hair witch, "This is Sarah Bern. She's teaching the extra curricular course at Hogwarts."

Remus led me through the barrier with practiced ease. "Have you taught at Hogwarts before?" I asked him.

He nodded his head. "Yes, about three years ago. I left because of…certain circumstances."

When we boarded the train, I noticed that there were no adults. "Why-"

"This is the student train. The teachers only use this train if they're new. Most of the teachers live at Hogwarts. I mean, not all the new teachers ride it. They prefer, usually, to floo straight to Dumbledore's office, but I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, and I don't like traveling in fire. Why are_ you_ riding the train?" Remus asked.

"I don't like magic at all to tell you the truth." Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you teaching here?"

I laughed. "It took the headmaster over a month to persuade me. He sent me 2 letters, met me in person, even compromised." I checked a compartment, but it was packed with students.

Remus smiled. "There's always a compartment open in the back. Come on."

AN: I know the first chapter was short, but all the introductions to my stories are short. By the way, I won't be writing in first person for the whole story. It'll sort of switch around.


	2. Meetings

Chapter 2

Meetings

Sarah and Remus had found an empty compartment, and apparently Remus had been very tired because as soon as he sat down he put his head on the window and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

Sarah smiled at him. Up close, she saw that he did look under the weather. His face was pale and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. He looked, although he had been smiling enthusiastically earlier, like he had been very lonely for a very long time.

Sarah liked him the moment she saw him. He was kind, calm. Sarah was kind and calm to the right people, but when someone got on her bad side, she wasn't as gentle.

For instance, her older brother had gotten on her bad side. His mere name (Jake) made her angry. He currently lived in California, America. He had hated his family from the start. He didn't like the house, his parents, his siblings, his money, his life. He had a problem with everything and was even pickier than Sarah, which was saying something.

He always yelled at Sarah's mother, calling her things so foul Sarah didn't dare repeat them. He yelled at Sarah as well, he had once gotten so angry that he slammed her into a wall. That was the beginning. Sarah didn't see any violence from him. But she saw the outcome. When she came home from Penn Forest each day, her mother had a new injury. Whether it was just a scratch or a broken limb, it was always there. Her father could hardly do anything about it. He left their family for months at a time for a business in Florida.

It really wasn't as bad as it seems, though. It didn't bother Sarah much. That seems awful, but Jake only started to become violent when he was a senior in high school. Sarah didn't like him at all. After his graduation he had gone out with his friends, gotten drunk, come home the next morning with a hangover, ordering Sarah around. Her mother told her to care for him when she went out to the grocery store. He told her to get him a warm cloth for his head. Sarah obliged grudgingly. When she gave it to him, he got angry that it was wet. That was the last straw for Sarah. She went on a rampage, screaming at him to get out. She had pushed him out, and she hadn't talked to him since.

Jake had called her years later. She picked up the phone while she was cooking. When she first heard his voice, she was angry. He apologized, telling her how much he regretted treating her and her family. She was near forgiving him. The pleading in his voice was indeed forgivable. But just as she had opened her mouth she recalled every morning she had gone to school late because her mother and brother were rowing. She recalled every weekend that she refused to let her friends come to her house because she was scared they would find out about her home life.

This isn't some tragic story about a beautiful woman with a tragic past. Sarah suffered no scars. She cried no tears. She dwelled on no pain.

Sarah gave a long sigh. She was about to take her sketch book from her bag when the compartment door opened. Sarah looked up. Four people were standing before her. She had seen them walked through the barrier. She smiled at them.

The red haired girl spoke up, "Sorry, but all the other compartments are full; do you care if we sit with you and Professor Lupin?"

"Of course not, you must have been taught by Professor Lupin before, if you know him," Sarah said.

"Oh yes, He taught us in our third year, well, Ginny in her second year," said the girl with brown hair. "I'm Hermione Granger by the way. That's Ron Weasley," she pointed the tall red headed boy, "That's Harry Potter," she pointed to the boy with messy black hair and very familiar green eyes, "And of course, Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister," she pointed to the pretty red head.

"You look a bit old you know," Ron said. Sarah was slightly amused at his straight forwardness. Hermione gave him a surprised and disapproving glare. "Uh, I mean, you know, for a student," he said hastily, as realization hit him.

Sarah laughed. "That would probably be because I'm not a student. I'm a teacher." Ron looked frightened.

"What do you teach? I mean, Professor Lupin said he was the DADA teacher. That's the only opening isn't it?" Ginny asked as she situated herself next to Lupin and Harry and beside Harry sat beside Ron. Hermione sat next to Sarah.

"I'm teaching DADA when Remus takes days off. He's been feeling a bit off color lately. But I'm teaching an elective for the 6th and 7th years when I'm not teaching DADA."

Hermione looked ecstatic. "Ooh, what elective are you teaching?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Planning to ask McGonagall for another time turner are you?" he asked.

Hermione scowled, "I never asked McGonagall for a time turner! She offered it to me!"

"Well whatever elective is, you'll take it," Ron said.

"So what's it to you if I do?" Hermione asked coldly. When she turned her head back to Sarah, Ron stuck his tongue out at her. Sarah laughed.

"I'm teaching an Occlumency course. Are you interested?"

Sarah noticed Hermione's excitement and apparently, so did Harry, whom she had never heard speak. "No," he said in a very hoarse voice. He sounded like he hadn't spoken in a year. Everyone looked at him. By their reactions, Harry _hadn't _spoken in a year.

"Harry it would be a good skill to learn…" Ginny began.

"_No,_" Harry said again in a louder voice.

"But Harry, that's what got us into trouble last year! If you had learned-"

"Drop it Hermione," Ron said quietly, giving her a look of warning. No one said anything after that.

10 minutes later, Ginny spoke again, "We didn't catch your name."

"Sarah," she said. She turned her head to the window. When she looked back, Ginny was sleeping on Harry's shoulder and his head was rested on hers, and he eventually slept too. Ron's feet were resting in Hermione's lap and they were both sleeping as well.

Sarah took her sketch book from her bag, looking at Harry and Ginny, and she drew them. She completely forgot the world as she lost herself in the depths of her drawing. Her life vanished when she found herself looming among the gentle strokes of her pencil. She was jerked backed to reality when the train stopped. She shoved her sketch book back into her bag, knocked out of her calm daze.

Everyone was still asleep. She was about wake up Hermione because she was the closest, but Harry's familiar green eyes sprang into her mind. She turned away from Hermione and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, and shook him gently.

She learned, a bit too late, that Harry was very jumpy. He seized her wrist and opened his eyes as if ready to fight.

Sarah wrestled her arm from Harry's firm grip. "What is wrong with you?" she asked him angrily. He could have just been surprised, as that was what you would usually assume, but she knew that that was not the case. She knew from what she had seen of him so far, that he was just cold nature.

Harry didn't answer and Sarah opened her mouth to speak but a hand closed on her shoulder. Lupin had woken and Hermione seemed to be stirring as well.

They all got off the train, Ginny and Hermione talking quietly. Sarah and Remus were behind the group of four and Sarah was merely following them, having never been here before. She was about to get in the carriage, but Lupin grabbed her arm.

"This way," he said and he led her to a smaller carriage that seated 4 people. "Before, I rode this by myself. The other carriages are strictly for the students."

"Oh. What does Hogwarts look like? It must be big if the teachers live there."

Remus laughed, "It's huge. I went to school there. It's a castle. There's a lake and a forest, 7 floors…"

"Where do the students stay?" Sarah asked.

"In there house dormitory," Remus explained.

"What do you mean 'house'?"

"Well you see, Hogwarts was founded by 4 people, Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw. They all had different ideas as to who to admit to Hogwarts. Salazar wanted pure blood, Godric wanted bravery, Rowena wanted intelligence, and Helga didn't honestly care. So they each had a house, and while everyone with magic in Europe was admitted, they are put into different houses. Each house had a common room, which is a kind of lounge, and a girl's dormitory, and a boy's dormitory."

"What house were you in?" Sarah asked.

"Gryffindor," Remus said proudly. "Oh look! We're here!" He smiled and got out and then helped Sarah out of the carriage, and he took her duffle for her. 'A perfect gentleman' she thought.

Sarah gasped. She saw the school in amazement. "I thought you were exaggerating when you said it was a castle!" The school took her breath away. She had never seen anything so beautiful. "I don't believe I'll be living there!"

Remus laughed and draped his free arm around her shoulders. A completely casual thing for him to do, but somehow it startled Sarah and made her feel uneasy. His touch reminded her of her brother's before he had become so hateful. "Wait till you see the inside," he said, smiling happily. He didn't look tired anymore for some reason.

"I was just wondering, will you be starting out classes, or will I?" Sarah asked.

"Oh I'll be healthy by tomorrow. It's only 2 weeks a month that you have to teach my classes."

"Considering," Sarah said sharply, "that we are both teaching the class during for the same amount of time this year, I think it fair you refer to them as 'our' classes."

"Terribly sorry Professor Bern, but since you never wanted the job in the first place, I didn't expect you to become possessive of the title."

"I'm possessive of everything that is mine Professor Lupin."

They walked into the great hall, Sarah had gone speechless, and they sat at the staff table. Dumbledore made his usual announcements, the sorting started and ended, they ate and left. Sarah went to sleep with ease that night. Her first Occlumency class was the next day. She would wake up early that next day and prepare her classroom.


	3. First Day Jitters

**Chapter 3**

**First Day Jitters**

**Sarah woke up at five the next morning. She walked over to the closet. Inside was her duffle, on the floor, unpacked. Hanging on the rack were a few sets of teaching robes. She took one out, tried it on, and looked in the mirror. She shook her head, "no way," she said. **

** She went over to her duffle and put on a pair of sweatpants and a tight tank top. She put her hair in a messy bun while she shoved her feet into a pair of tennis shoes. She walked to the class room that Dumbledore had given her, and earned several strange glances from students in the hallway. **

**It wasn't very roomy, and she needed to change that. She transfigured the stone floor into off white carpet. She waved her wand and the walls turned baby blue. She waved her wand again and instantly the desks and chairs vanished. She smiled, feeling satisfied with her work. She walked over to the only piece of furniture left in the room. On her desk lay a roll of parchment and a sticky note attached. **

**Professor Bern,**

**I informed you that you would teach only 6th and 7th years, but a few 5th years seemed strangely eager to participate, hope you don't mind,**

**Albus Dumbledore**

**Sarah skimmed the list of students that had signed up. Her eyes drifted across a few familiar names. 'Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger' and strangely enough, they had made it, or Harry had made it, very clear that they weren't signing up. It was even stranger that Harry's name was written in the exact same beautiful, neat, curvy manuscript as Ginny's. Sarah smiled to herself. **

**Noticing that there was no chair at her desk (and she could hardly find the need to conjure one), she hoisted herself on top of it and crossed her legs. She was about to get her sketch book when a woman opened the door. She was wearing emerald green robes and she was towering Sarah, which was no great accomplishment considering Sarah's height but it frightened her just the same, and the woman's hair was pulled into a very tight bun. Sarah smiled at her. **

**"Good evening. I'm Sarah-"**

**"I know who you are Professor Bern, and your behavior is atrocious!"**

**"Why is that?" Sarah asked calmly, as if they were having a civil conversation.**

**"First," the woman held up one finger, "you abandoned the dress code, dressing in your own…whatever you would call that. Second," she held up a second finger, "you transfigured the class room to fit your own luxuries. Third," she held up 3 fingers, "you neglected to turn up at breakfast this morning!" **

**Sarah gave an accidental yawn and she realized, a second too late, that it hadn't helped the matters. The woman's eyes narrowed, her nostrils flared, and her lips were near invisible. Sarah smiled pleasantly and that was the final straw. She had shouted, "I'm telling Albus!" **

**"You do that," Sarah said happily, as the woman stormed out looking furious. So far, Sarah hadn't made very good first impressions, and she knew it. She figured she'd go see Remus to kill time. She walked into the DADA classroom expecting to see Remus in there preparing his lesson. Sure enough, he stood there, planning lessons and arranging books on shelves. Sarah smiled. She noticed only one side of the room was filled with foe glasses and dangerous creatures in tanks. She walked over to the plain side. **

**"I take it I get to decorate this side of the room?" she asked. **

**Remus jumped, having not heard her enter. "Yes. Aren't I nice?"**

**Sarah laughed. "Yes, so generous to give me the pleasure of decorating another classroom."**

**"It's only one wall."**

**Sarah smiled again, but her expression turned serious. "You know Harry Potter? What's the deal with him?"**

**Remus's expression became one of pity. "You've…You've never heard of the boy who lived?" he asked. **

**Sarah shook her head. "No, why does it matter?"**

**"I suppose he's only famous in Europe." **

**"Who?" Sarah asked.**

**"Harry."**

**"Harry is famous?"**

**"Indeed. Have you ever heard of Voldemort?"**

**"No. Should I have?" Sarah asked. Remus began to explain to her all of the horrors of the past and Harry Potter's life. **

**"And then in his forth year Voldemort was reborn, and it didn't help matters that he had just watched his friend being murdered."**

**"Is that why he is such a grouch all the time? Well that's understandable but that doesn't explain why he was so revolted by my class."**

**"Well you see in his fifth year-" but Remus was cut off by the door slamming. The same crazy woman that had criticized Sarah in her classroom earlier entered, followed by Dumbledore. **

**Remus inclined his head. "Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall." **

**"Albus, that child that you hired-"**

**"I am _not _a child thank you very much-" **

**"She irresponsibly over slept and forgot breakfast, she neglected the pay any attention at all the dress code, and she had sabotaged her classroom!"**

**"First of all, there was nothing in the rules that said I was required to attend breakfast-"**

**"It's common etiquette-"**

**"Second," Sarah said even louder, "If you want me to stay here you won't force me to wear robes-"**

**"It's the _dress code_ and you must set an example for the students-"**

**"I am setting an example. But you didn't specify what kind of example you wanted me to set!"**

**"You set a civilized example! That doesn't include wearing grungy muggle clothing!"**

**"This grungy muggle clothing is not muggle! Muggles might wear something similar yes, but this is American wizarding attire. Notice the word in big bold letters on my ass that says 'Penn Forest'. I'm exposing the students the different cultures so that they don't become as narrow minded as someone like you," Sarah said boldly. She could tell that getting on the bad side of this woman. "And third, I am arranging my classroom as I see fit because Occlumency can not be learned out of a text book so 99 of the lessons well be practical. What the hell is the use of desks when you're trying the clear your mind?"**

**McGonagall's nostrils flared and her lips became invisible. Sarah heard a chuckle from her left, and she turned to see Albus, clearly amused by this argument. "Minerva," Dumbledore said smiling, "Sarah can arrange her class room however she wants, and there isn't anything in the rules that says that she has to attend breakfast." **

**McGonagall very obviously did not approve of Sarah's smug look, "but she should at least wear suitable clothing-"**

"**Professor Bern is American in blood and in spirit Minerva. That is how wizards dress there. It is their culture. She is a legal adult and is at liberty to dress however she likes."**

**McGonagall gave a disapproving sniff and stalked out the room. Dumbledore bid them good bye and walked out shortly after. "I think Minerva likes me, don't you Remus?" Remus snorted and shook his head, but he was grinning. They chatted for a while as Sarah hung posters on the walls of the classroom, put up bulletins and photographs and paintings. **

"**Hey Sarah?" Remus said after a while.**

"**Hmm?" Sarah responded distracted with a poster that refused to stick**

"**Your first class is before mine isn't it? It's in like 15 minutes."**

"**Ok, hold your horses! RETARDED POSTER!" Sarah shouted agitated. **

"**Sarah, don't use scotch tape on stone walls. It doesn't work, especially with the magic radiating off these walls. You have to use spellotape," Remus explained, throwing her a roll of spellotape from his desk. **

**Sarah sighed, "Fine." She taped up the poster and looked at her watch. "I better go," she said, "I'll see you later Remus." When Sarah reached her classroom, she noticed that Hermione and Ginny were already there. "Hello girls," she greeted enthusiastically. **

"**Morning Professor," Ginny said, smiling.**

"**I'm not that old. You can just call me Sarah if you want."**

"**But isn't that degrading? I mean, that's your title, and we're under age (or I am at least) and your like Professor Lupin's age right?" Ginny said, looking up from her bag, which she was searching frantically.**

"**I'm not technically a Professor. This is my first day ever teaching, on less you count a little tutoring I did on weekends in my 5th year."**

"**5th year? Did you attend Hogwarts? You must have gone to school with Harry's parents then right?" Ginny asked quickly.**

"**Obviously not!" Hermione snapped, "Can't you tell by her accent? She must be from the east or something."**

**Sarah nodded. "Yes, I was born and raised in Cockeysville, Maryland."**

**Ginny and Hermione burst into giggles. "Cockeysville?"**

**Sarah rolled her eyes. "Yes, Cockeysville. It's a little outside Baltimore, it's not really a city, more of a suburb really."**

**The door opened and the pretty 7th year Sarah had seen run through the platform, the one with long dark hair and dark eyes. "Er…This is Occlumency…Right?" she asked nervously.**

"**Yes," Sarah said, "Come in. I'm Sarah."**

"**I'm Parvati. Where's the teacher?"**

"**You're looking at her." Sarah said, grinning.**

**Parvati gasped. "Oh! Right, are we the only ones in the class?" she asked.**

"**No, class starts in 10 minutes, so people won't start arriving for another five minutes I think. Judging by the list on my desk, Harry Potter changed his mind about my class," Sarah laughed, raising her perfectly shaped and arched eyebrows at Ginny. **

**Ginny turned red. "Oh, u-um. R-really?" she stuttered. **

**Sarah laughed again as the door opened as a 7th year with blonde hair and gray eyes walked in. He looked around. "How many Slytherins are in this class?"**

**"2, Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. Why?" Sarah answered.**

**"Because he's a prejudice cow who only likes Slytherins," Hermione commented. Ginny kicked her. **

**"Then I assume you are Draco right?" Sarah said. The blonde boy nodded. Sarah walked over and sat on her desk (cross legged as before).**

**Several minutes later Hannah Abbott, Padma Patil, and Cho Chang entered followed shortly after by Colin Creevy, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, and Pansy Parkinson. "Alright, is everyone here? I'm going to do attendance to make sure, since I don't know anyone," Sarah said. Once she had called out everyone's names, she realized that Harry and Ron were missing. "Has anyone seen Harry Potter and Ron Weasley?" Sarah asked.**

**"I'll get them," Ginny volunteered, "Last I saw them they were in the common room. Ron was trying to get Harry to come." Sarah nodded and Ginny sprinted out the door.**

**"Alright, everyone get in a circle but leave a break for Harry Ron and Ginny. Hurry up, just sit on the floor, don't be silly Lavender it's perfectly clean. Draco stop shoving Hermione! Lavender sit down! Harry, Ron, nice of you to join us. Hermione, Draco, separate. Lavender if I ask you again…" **

**"Ok then are we ready to start? My name is Sarah Bern; you can just call me Sarah. I don't want any of that 'professor' business. This class will be different then any other class you have ever taken or will take in the future. Some of you may have previous experience in occlumency," she glanced at Harry, "some of you may have read a book on it," she looked at Hermione, "And some of you might not even know what it is. For those of you who don't, can someone tell us what it is?" Sarah asked looking around the room. Ginny and Hermione had raised their hands. "Yes Ginny?"**

**"It is the defense of the mind against external penetration."**

**"Correct! 5 points to Gryffindor." Sarah said, smiling. "Now, earlier I was introduced to some bloke, the potions master I think, is his name…wait don't tell me…starts with an 'S' right? Professor Snap?"**

**Everyone laughed. Including, Sarah was pleased to see, was Harry, though it was more of a stifled chuckle than a real laugh. "It's Professor Snape," Ron said through laughter. "That's what I'm going to call him the next time I see him!"**

**Sarah laughed. "Ok, sorry. Professor Dumbledore informed me that Professor Snape was quite skilled in Occlumency, and he has given lessons to a few select students. I was informed of his style of teaching and I do not at all support it. He cast 'Legilimens' on the candidate without any real and true preparation or instruction. He told them to clear there mind of all emotion. Well that doesn't do much good does it? Now, it sounds very easy but clearing your mind is a very tricky thing. You cannot think or feel. You have to be completely calm. It's hard to shield your mind when you're angry. You feel if you relax then you are giving in to the person or thing that made you angry. It's not a good idea to practice when you're angry. Now, who in here lives with muggles, or is in close proximity with muggles?" Several people raised their hands. "How many of you go out to muggle stores?" More people raised their hands, "And how many of you know the following terms: Yoga, Pilates, and Meditation." **

**"What does that have to do with Occlumency?" Padma asked. **

**"Good question. What do they have to do with Occlumency? Now for your homework I want 7 scrolls of parchment on the questions I write on the board." Sarah got up and sauntered over to the dusty chalk board and gingerly wrote: What are the definitions of Yoga, Pilates, and Meditation? Why do muggles practice them? How are they connected? Do wizards use them? What do they have to do with occlumency?**

**Several people groaned. "And because I'm so nice," Sarah added, "You can just use dictionary definitions for number one, you don't have to put them in you own words, but you do for 2-4."**

**"When is it due?" Colin asked.**

**"Next class period. But that's next month, so you have plenty of time."**

**"Next month! But we have occlumency scheduled every other day at 5:00!"**

**"I know. You do. But things got screwed this month. I have to do DADA more this month because Remus is sick and then he's going to some ministry sponsor thing that supports werewolf rights. But after that we're back on schedule. Unless of course Remus or I have to go somewhere important on short notice. So I'll see you in DADA and probably in the hallway. Class dismissed!" Sarah finished. She was starting to feel sick. Her jaw felt tired from talking, and it didn't help matters that she DADA in a few days. She was shaking and she felt weak. She supposed it was because she hadn't eaten anything since the night before. Was there always food in the great hall, or was there a scheduled breakfast, lunch, and dinner? What would she do then? Well, the last student had only closed the door moments before; if Sarah hurried she might catch them and ask them. She stood and ran to the door and opened it. She saw someone's robes just whish around the corner. "Wait!" Sarah shouted and she ran around the corner. Lucky her, Harry stood glaring daggers at her.**

** "Yes?" he answered numbly.**

**"Um, well…" this was more awkward than she had anticipated, "You see, I didn't eat breakfast this morning and well…I just wanted to know if the great hall served food all the time or…"**

**"It's scheduled. You can only get food there when the time is right," Harry said, clearing his throat. He can't have talked very much recently. **

**"Oh. Alright, thanks. I just wondered. I guess I ought to eat breakfast from now on. McGonagall was right. I suppose I'll have to wait for lunch," Sarah said, disappointed. She turned and began to walk back to her classroom. **

**Before she reached the door Harry's hoarse voice stopped her, "Not necessarily," he said, "Come with me." He turned around, not looking to see if Sarah was coming, he began to walk. Sarah followed she tried to memorize the turns he made for future reference, but alas, she did not have her father's amazing memory. Her brother had gotten that trait. She had, unfortunately or fortunately, gotten her mother's magic. Sarah became lost in thought, no longer trying to memorize which corridors Harry was taking. She was now unconsciously following him, drowning in memories. It was only when Harry came to an abrupt halt did Sarah snap back to reality. "You tickle the pear on the canvas, see?" Sarah realized how absurd it was for Harry to be tickling a pear in a painting, but no sooner had the thought entered her mind did the painting swing open, revealing a sparkling kitchen, with elves scurrying around washing pans and cooking stew. **

**"Oh my word," Sarah gasped as she looked at the elves. "What are they?"**

**Harry gave her a funny look, "Don't you know what house elves are?" Sarah shook her head. "They're elves, obviously, who work for humans. Hermione is very against the whole thing. The elves are obsessed. Their life goal is to be the world's best cookie maker," **

**Sarah laughed, though she was not sure if Harry was kidding. "I was never exposed to much magic myself. I've never liked it; I inherited that from my mom."**

**"I'm not either. I live with muggles, but I visit my friends sometimes in the summer. We all go to Ron and Ginny's place. But recently…" Harry did not want to seem to pursue the topic, so Sarah didn't push him.**

**"Harry Potter sir!" someone squeaked. Sarah looked around and saw an elf tugging on Harry's robes. "You have come to visit Dobby hasn't you?"**

**Sarah saw Harry (for the first time) smile. "Yeah, and I brought one of my professors. She didn't eat breakfast and she was wondering if you could get her something to eat to hold her over until lunch." **

**Sarah had never seen anyone ever look so pleased. The elf, 'Dobby', had given a jump of mirth and its eyes became as round as tennis balls and they filled with tears of joy. "Of course, Harry Potter sir! Does Mister Harry Potter want Dobby to get him anything?"**

**"No Dobby, I'm fine. I ate breakfast." The elf looked thoroughly disappointed. His ears drooped and he dragged himself around. Harry looked guilty. "Dobby, perhaps I could use a glass of water?" He said softly. The Elf gave another happy jump and a wide smile was etched on its face. He skipped away flamboyantly to serve them. **

**Sarah could not resist. She began to giggle. "Are they always like that?" **

**"Yes. That's why I would never get one. If you say you're not hungry then they look so sad and make you feel really guilty. I would become really fat." **

**Sarah gave another giggle. "Are all the elves that fond of you?" **

**"They're all fond of everyone. Dobby's just particularly obsessed with me."**

**"How come?" Sarah asked. She realized how much she sounded like a child. **

**"He used to work for the Malfoys."**

**"That kid in my class?"**

**"Yes. His dad's in Azkaban for being a death eater."**

**"What's a death eater? Sounds a bit violent if you ask me."**

**"Did Voldemort not take over America?"**

**"I didn't even know who Voldemort was until Remus explained it to me this morning."**

**"I'm not famous there?"**

**"Not any more than me." Sarah answered truthfully.**

**"Wow. Anyway, Dobby worked for the Malfoys and to make a very long story short, I tricked Luscious Malfoy into freeing Dobby."**

**"How do you trick someone into freeing their elf?" Sarah questioned curiously.**

**"The only thing that can free a house elf is if its master gives it clothes. I put one of my socks in a book and gave it to Mr. Malfoy. He took out the sock and gave it to Dobby to dispose of. But he had given him clothes, so dobby was free."**

**"Wow, the clever one aren't you?"**

**"Nah, that's Hermione,"**

**"What does that make you?"**

**Harry shrugged and opened his mouth to say something, but Dobby interrupted by shoving a glass of water into his hands. "Thanks, Dobby," he said and have a very deep bow, so that his nose touched his ankles. Another elf handed Sarah a tray with a bowl of soup and a fruit salad on it. **

"**Thank you so much," she said, giving the elf a gentle smile. "Harry, when is your next class?"**

"**I have potions with Professor Snape," Harry answered.**

"**Judging by your tone, I'd say that that's just about your favorite class. Next to mine, of course."**

"**Are all Americans as sarcastic as you are?"**

**Sarah grinned, "Only the cool ones." She winked at him.**

**Harry snorted disbelievingly. "Right. Listen I have class in 15 minutes so I really do have to get going,"**

**Sarah nodded, "Thanks so much. Do you have anything fun to do around this castle?"**

"**Um, well it's nice to walk on the grounds I guess. You could talk to Madam Hooch about borrowing a broom for a day. The Forbidden Forest always provides some kind of adventure," Harry gave a little cough, "Not that I've ever been in there or anything."**

**Sarah laughed. "Ok, thanks. Maybe I'll just visit Diagon Ally. I haven't flown in ages so I don't think riding a broomstick would be a good idea."**

"**Suit yourself. See you, Professor," Harry said as he walked out the door. **

**As the door slammed shut, Sarah yelled after him, "My name's Sarah!"**


	4. Running

**Chapter 4**

**Running**

**Sarah ended up going back to her bedroom. Remus was teaching DADA for a few days until she took over. She wouldn't teach Occlumency until the following month. What was she supposed to do for 3 days when electronics didn't work in Hogwarts. There was no use trying to listen to her iPod or play DDR. Not that she had ever been too obsessed with something as brainless as videos games, but she had done it in some of her spare time back when she lived in MD. It was just that she usually had had stuff going on with friends and her jobs to ever even be able to carelessly play a game for over 20 minutes. Sarah removed the duffle from the floor of her closet and set it on her bed. She took out the clothes and hung them in her closet. She had packed a few of her favorite books and set them on the shelves. She took her shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, makeup, ect. and put it in the appropriate place. **

**Her duffle was empty save for 10 or 20 picture frames. She put 5 on her side table and then went back to her class room and set 10 on her desk. She wondered if Remus was teaching, because she wanted to put her frames on Remus's desks, since she would spend just as much time at that desk as he would. She decided to risk him being with students. She walked to his class room and noticed, gratefully, that there was only one girl in Remus's class room.**

**Sarah inclined her head to her, "Hermione, early as usual I see."**

**Hermione smiled. "I was just really excited. Professor Lupin taught me in my third year. He was amazing. I can't wait to see what he has planned."**

"**I'm sure he won't disappoint you," Sarah said as she sat at his desk. "A bit messy though, isn't he? Looks as though he likes chocolate," Sarah added, lifting an empty chocolate wrapper in disgust.**

"**That's his comfort food."**

"**I hate chocolate. I'm a bit healthy. I don't eat junk food. I'm also a vegetarian."**

"**Doesn't that mean that you can only have fruits and vegetables?"**

"**No, I can have grains to. But grains can be very high fat they are not rationed properly."**

**Hermione rolled her eyes. "You sound like my mother," she said. "Anyway what are you doing in here?" **

"**Putting some pictures in here. There we go." Sarah said happily after she had arranged all of the photos.**

"**Do you mind if I look at them?" Hermione asked.**

"**Go ahead. I know if I say no, the moment I leave you'll look at them anyway. And besides, I wouldn't put up pictures I don't want people to see right in the middle of a classroom now would I?"**

**Hermione shook her head and got up to look at them. "Who's that?" she asked.**

"**My friend Lauren, my brother, and me."**

"**That doesn't look like you at all," Hermione commented.**

"**Oh no, that's not me. I'm on the left. You're looking at Lauren." **

"**Oh. That still doesn't look like you, you know."**

"**I was eleven there. I'm thirty four now. What do you expect? No one looks like they did 23 years before." **

**Hermione shrugged. "People usually have the same facial structure though. They usually have the same main features that they had when they were younger."**

"**I have the same eyes. Look!" Sarah shoved the photo in front of Hermione's face.**

"**They're blue in this picture. Your eyes now are brown."**

"**But they still look the same. They're the same almond shape and everything."**

"**Why did you change so much. I mean, you look so different in this picture. Here you have blue eyes and really dark hair. You're also really pale in this picture. Now you have Light brown hair, chestnut brown eyes, and you have olive skin."**

"**My eyes changed on their own. I started going to the tanning bed when I left school because my mom never let me go before. I highlight my hair. When you get older, you'll probably change the way you look to feel more comfortable."**

"**I never said there was anything wrong with it. I think you look nice. I was just stating that you don't look the same."**

"**I already knew that. I'm gonna go now anyway. This place is so boring."**

"**You could go to the library!" Hermione said enthusiastically.**

**Sarah looked thoughtful for a moment. "That's not a bad idea; I think I might just check out a few good books. Do you recommend any?"**

"**Well you'll already know everything in the books that's I've read, but Hogwarts, A History, is very informative."**

"**Thanks, Hermione. I'll check that one out. I suppose it's about Hogwart's history?" Sarah asked.**

**"Naturally," Hermione responded briefly.**

**The door opened and Ron entered carrying his books in one hand. "I thought Professor Lupin would be teaching today."**

**Sarah smirked. "So you like Professor Lupin better than me? I'll keep that in mind if ever I'm grading one of your tests, Ronald."**

**Hermione snorted and Ron looked slightly confused as Sarah whisked past him in a very provocative manner.**

**In the hall, Sarah ran into Professor Lupin, carrying his briefcase. **

"**Good evening, Sarah," Remus said, nodding to her.**

"**It's absolutely intriguing," Sarah retorted, sarcasm dripping from her voice.**

**Remus chuckled. "That bored are you?"**

**"Yes, I think I might go the library and try and learn something. Which isn't likely, but there isn't anything better to do."**

"**Well, have fun-"**

"**I'm more likely to lay an egg," Sarah murmured, cutting Remus off.**

**Remus chuckled and he walked passed her into his class room. Sarah glared at the door as it shut she turned around and headed back to her room. **

**She changed her mind about the library. Why bother try and learn when she had slaved away for 7 years trying to soak up knowledge, all of which she later regretted learning. **

**She remembered what Harry had said, about the brooms. She had never been hand-eye coordinated, so playing for a team had always been out of the question. She did fly though. Usually when it was raining, because it made her feel so exhilarated to fly so fast and get so wet.**

**But she hadn't flown since her 6th year at Penn Forest. No doubt she would be rusty. The weather was warm. Surely she should save such an activity for when the weather was colder, like she always had when she was younger.**

**But the Quidditch season would be in session then. Did the players have their own brooms, or would they use the ones from the broom shed? Sarah sighed. She couldn't go to Remus, he was teaching then. **

**She hardly knew any of the other professors. Sarah sighed. She walked outside, looking for a teacher. She gave and angry groan when she didn't see anyone. **

**Sarah ran around the corner, and saw McGonagall speaking in civil tones with a stout woman Sarah thought was Professor Sprout, but she wasn't entirely sure. Sarah approached them confidently, smiling at them once she had reached them.**

"**Good evening," she said.**

**Professor Sprout gave a wide and warm smile. "How are you, Sarah?" she asked.**

"**I'm fine, but I was wondering if the quidditch team used the school brooms, or if those were just up for give and take?"**

**McGonagall stared at her before saying, "You can use one of the brooms, if that's what you're asking."**

**Sarah tried to draw herself up to McGonagall's height, but because of her Italian bloodline, she was unsuccessful. "That was not what I was asking. I asked whether or not the team used them during quidditch season," Sarah said, deciding not to comment, 'had you listened, you would have known'.**

"**Why does that matter?" Minerva asked, her voice gained an edge. **

"**Because I like to fly when it's cold, ok? Do you have a problem with that?"**

"**They don't use the school brooms. They have their own," Sprout said with a smile.**

"**Thank you," Sarah said in a fake sweet voice. She turned around and went back to the room. Walking to her closet, which she decided was far too small to fit all her things, she opened her door. Sarah pulled her sweat pants off and put on navy shorts.**

**Sarah had run track ever since she had been 16. She wasn't very fast, but nor was she slow. She did it in her free time, and listened to music as she did so. Jake was the joke in the family, the one who had been hand-eye coordinated, as opposed to Sarah. Jake was also on the varsity track team, but he went to a muggle school, so he never really ran with Sarah.**

**Sarah had gotten a wizard CD player that played muggle CD's before she had arrived at Hogwarts, which she had forgotten about until now. She grabbed it just before she walked out the door, and when she reached the grounds, she put it on. **

**An hour later, Sarah was completely out of breath. Sweat dripped off her face and her hair was coming down from its messy bun and sticking to her face. Sarah had run her self to the point where she was shaking. She walked to the staff room, which had the closest bathroom.**

**She opened the heavy oak door and several teachers looked up. Sarah walked to the opposite side where the women's bathroom was and she opened it. McGonagall stood there, washing her hands, and looked up when she saw Sarah. **

"**Good heavens! What have you been doing?" she exclaimed when she caught sight of Sarah.**

**Panting, Sarah responded, "Running." She walked over to the nearest stall and pushed it open and fell to her knees, letting the door rest against her foot. McGonagall walked over worriedly as Sarah leaned over the toilet and vomited. **

"**Professor!" McGonagall gasped. Sarah stood and walked to the sink, where she splashed cold water on her face. **

"**Sorry. I ran the 800 twice, sprinting," Sarah explained.**

"**There's nothing to be sorry for! And what on earth is the 800?"**

"**800 meters. It's the length of half a football field."**

"**Do you need to go to the hospital wing?" McGonagall asked.**

**Sarah shook her head and cupped her hands under the running water, bent over, and drank it. "No. This had happened before. It's nothing unusual. I just need water," Sarah said, and she bent her head back down to drink more. **


	5. hogsmeade

**Chapter 5**

**It's good. It's good. It's _Good_**

**The next day, Sarah was off to finding another thing to do while stuck in the monotone castle. It was 9:00, and it was Saturday. Sarah walked down the hall and knocked on Remus's door. She had only just woken up, so she was still wearing pajama pants and a big gray sweatshirt. **

"**Come in!" Remus's voice called from inside. Sarah opened the door and gasped.**

"**_Remus!_" she said.**

**Remus looked up from the couch, where he was reading a book. "What?" he asked, looking alarmed.**

**Sarah walked in the room and shut the door behind her. She peered around the room in fascination. **

"**What?" Remus asked again.**

"**Your room is like…Ten times bigger than mine!" she said angrily.**

**Remus threw his head back and laughed. "Minerva is in charge of the room placement, don't get mad at me."**

**Sarah balled her hands into fist and huffed, "I should have known! She hates me!"**

"**She doesn't hate you. She was very concerned for you when you showed your bulimia," Remus joked.**

**Sarah snatched his book from him, and swatted him with it. "I am not bulimic! That's disgusting, Remus! And how did you know anyway?" **

"**Know what? About your vomiting episode?" he asked. Sarah hit him again. **

"**I was _sprinting_ the 800, Remus!"**

**Remus laughed again. "I know, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Minerva told the staff about it at a faculty meeting."**

"**A faculty meeting? Why wasn't I there?" Sarah inquired. **

**Remus looked nervous now. "Err…Well it was a special faculty meeting…" he said hesitantly.**

"**An order meeting?" Sarah offered.**

**Remus looked at her with wide eyes. "How do you know about the order?"**

"**My mom was in the original one. She went to Hogwarts, you know."**

"**Really?" **

"**Yes. But she left the order when she moved to America. She changed her mind about the war and everything; she left the wizarding world completely. She was furious when she found out that she passed the gift to me."**

"**So is there some kind of family feud between you two?" **

**Sarah shook her head. "No, she let me go to school. She was more angry with herself, really." She looked around the room again. "Hey Remy?" **

"**What did I do to deserve that nick name?" he asked, raising one of his eyebrows. **

**Sarah giggled, but didn't respond to his question. "Do you mind if I'm nosey and I snoop around to see how big your room actually is?"**

**Remus rolled his eyes. "Sure, why not."**

**Sarah walked out of Remus's living room into the room beside it, which turned out to be his bedroom. It was very organized, a skill that Sarah lacked. The next room was a bathroom. It had 2 sinks, a toilet and a large tub that Sarah was immediately jealous of. She walked back into his bedroom and then opened his closet, which was much larger than hers. There were no more doors to open, so Sarah went back into the living room, where Remus was still reading. **

"**I've decided that I really like your bathtub," she said.**

"**Alright."**

"**Can I use it sometime?"**

"**You want to use my bathtub?"**

"**Yes."**

**Remus stared at her for a while and then turned his head back to his book. **

"**I'll take that as a yes," Sarah said, and saw a door to Remus's right that she had not been into. Sarah walked across the room and opened the door and screamed. **

**Remus jumped up and raced to her side with his wand out. "What's the matter? There's nothing in here," he said, after looking around the kitchen.**

"**Nothing in here? _Nothing in here_?" Sarah breathed incredulously. She walked into the kitchen and over to the stove and laid across it. She moaned and closed her eyes. **

"**What are you doing?" **

"**Do you use this?"**

"**What?"**

"**The kitchen." **

"**Oh, no. I eat in the great hall. Sometimes in the school kitchens. I'm a horrible cook. I can make eggs though," Remus responded.**

"**I want to live with you," Sarah told him. **

**Remus laughed. "Do you cook?"**

"**I love cooking. It's just about the only thing I'm good at."**

"**I suppose you could this kitchen if you wanted to-"**

**Sarah screamed and threw her arms around him. "I love you!" she shouted and kissed him on the check happily. Once she relished him she squealed and then ran over to the white cabinets and opened them. She laughed and looked over her shoulder, "you must serve guests all the time, Remus. You have two bowls in here!" Remus chuckled. "When are you leaving?" Sarah asked him suddenly.**

**Remus looked confused. "For what?" **

"**For that convention thing." **

"**Oh, not until Monday. I won't be back for 2 weeks."**

"**Oh. Do you want to go for a walk?" Sarah asked him.**

**Remus nodded and they both went out to the grounds where there were students everywhere. Ron and Hermione were both laughing hysterically, fighting over and large bottle of soapy water, which Ron ended up pouring all over Hermione. **

"**Are they dating?" Sarah asked Remus.**

"**Not yet. But they will by the end of the year. They argue like a couple, and they also love each other like they were a couple. It's just a matter of time."**

"**What about Harry and Ginny?" Sarah asked him.**

"**They dated last year, when Harry was 16. But they aren't getting along. Harry has a temper and Ginny is stubborn and she isn't very happy with being pushed around."**

"**He's a nice guy though. He showed me the kitchen after our first class."**

"**I know. I think you remind him of his godfather. He's a bit free spirited, like you."**

"**Who's his godfather?"**

"**Sirius Black, he was a very close friend of mine. He was murdered 2 years ago."**

"**I'm sorry," Sarah said softly. "Who murdered him?"**

"**His cousin did. She was a death eater."**

"**Harry mentioned them earlier. What are they?"**

"**They work for Voldemort. They often do his dirty work for him."**

"**Ah. Who does Harry live with now? If Sirius Black died," Sarah asked.**

"**He never lived with Sirius. Sirius is a convicted murderer, you see. He was never proven innocent."**

"**What happened?" Sarah asked. Remus explained it to her, and at the end she was staring at Ron and Hermione. "How did Sirius die?"**

"**Bellatrix Lestrange pushed him threw a veil. He disappeared and the order never found him."**

"**That's horrible. How long have you known him?" Sarah asked quietly.**

"**He was my best friend ever since I was 11."**

"**I so sorry, Remus."**

**Remus shook his head and glanced over Sarah's shoulder. "Uh oh. Look," he said. Sarah turned around to see Harry and Ginny standing by a tree screaming at each other. **

"**How long have they been there?"**

"**A while, I was talking to you though, so I didn't say anything," Remus responded.**

**Ginny and Harry were pointing their finger's at each other. Sarah gasped when Harry raised his fist and she took a step forward. Harry hadn't done anything, but Sarah looked horrified anyway. **

**Remus noticed her. "Are you alright?"**

**Sarah coughed. "I'm fine. I just…Nothing." **

**Remus looked at her strangely, but he didn't say anything. **

"**So…What's that convention thing you're going to about?" Sarah said, trying to change the topic.**

"**It's a two week…I want to call it a civil protest. It supports werewolf's rights. We're trying to get the ministry of magic to change its laws that restrict werewolves from everyday activity."**

**Sarah stared at him. "Certain laws regarding werewolves should stay intact, I think. I believe that the law stating that all werewolves supplied with the wolfbane potion are required to use it, is pertinent. I mean, if we just let transformed werewolves roam around unsafely-"**

"**Not those types of laws. Laws that restrict werewolves from obtaining certain jobs, and that keep them from owning specific property."**

**Sarah gasped, "That's horrible! The ministry of magic discriminates against werewolves?"**

"**Err…it's not just the ministry of magic you know."**

**Sarah's eyes widened. "That is awful! I want to come to the convention!"**

"**Then who would be my substitute?" Remus asked, smiling softly.**

"**Oh…Yeah. I forgot. I'm not used to all of this discrimination and prejudice. It's not like that in America. Werewolves are free there."**

"**Sounds like a nice place. I've only been there once, I'm afraid."**

"**Really? When?" Sarah asked.**

"**At Lily and James Potter's wedding. Lily used to live in America before moving to Europe and then getting accepted to Hogwarts. So she had two weddings. One here and one there."**

"**Really? I had a friend who did that. I was a bridesmaid at her wedding."**

"**Who?" Remus asked.**

"**Lauren Caps. Got married to a bloke here. Come to think of it, I think she moved here as well. I think she went to school here."**

"**At Hogwarts? Isn't that ironic."**

**Sarah laughed. "It is. She was my good friend when I was about 10 or 11. She moved and we lost contact. Anyway, we found each other like…8 years later. She was engaged and everything, so she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. It was a really fun wedding."**

**Remus nodded. "Lily's as well. I was an usher. Sirius was the best man." **

**Sarah sighed. "Remus, since you'll be gone for two weeks, can I use you bathtub?"**

**Remus rolled his eyes. "You're straight forward aren't you?"**

"**I don't beat around the bush. So can I use it?" **

"**I don't think that's very appropriate—" **

"**Oh please, Remy, it's not as if I'm going to run around the school screaming, "I used Remus Lupin's bathtub! I used Remus Lupin's bathtub!" Sarah said.**

**Remus laughed. "That's even more inappropriate than using my tub in the first place."**

**They reached a very tall tree and they sat down underneath it. "Remy—"**

"**Calling me that incredulous nickname isn't going to get you anywhere."**

**Someone snorted from beside Remus. "As if 'Moony' is a lot better, Professor," a feminine voice said.**

**Remus and Sarah looked up to see Ginny grinning down at them. "Hello Ginny. Have a seat," Remus said.**

**Ginny sat down in front of Sarah and Remus. "Did you have a fight with Harry?" Sarah asked her.**

**Ginny looked up at her. "Yeah. He's so stupid."**

"**All men are stupid, Ginny," Sarah said, grinning.**

"**Hey!" Remus said, glaring at Sarah. **

**Ginny laughed. "Chill out, Remy," she joked.**

**Remus scowled. "You don't want me to take away house points do you Ginny?"**

**Sarah laughed. "If you did, I would just add them back, Remy." She said.**

**Ginny grinned. "Professor Bern, I was in the library trying to do that essay you assigned us, but I couldn't find any books on the topics you suggested."**

**Sarah ignored her and turned to Remus. "Lovely day isn't it Remus?" she asked him.**

**Ginny frowned. "Professor I—"**

"**Are you talking to Professor Lupin or to me?" Sarah asked her.**

**Ginny frowned again. "You," she responded. **

"**Well my name isn't Professor Bern is it?" **

**Ginny smiled in recognition. "Oh. Sorry. Sarah, I was in the library trying to do that essay you assigned us, but I couldn't find any books on the topics you suggested," Ginny said, correcting herself. **

**Sarah smiled and turned to her. "I thought you all might have had a problem with that. I think the reason is that the school library is completely devoted to school books. I doubt that Dumbledore found the need to put such books in there, seeing as he probably never expected that to be a subject anyone would ever teach here. I suggest you visit a wizard bookstore that contains less pertinent books. Better yet, if you get a chance to go into a muggle bookstore, you'll find something," Sarah explained.**

**Ginny nodded. "Alright, it's a Hogsmeade weekend; I can pick up a book while I'm there. Thanks Professor." Sarah coughed. "I mean, thanks Sarah."**

**Ginny stood up and walked to the castle. Sarah noticed that the busy grounds were emptying out. "Remus, what's a Hogsmeade weekend?" Sarah asked him. **

"**Hogsmeade is and all-wizard village. The third years and up are allowed to go off campus to Hogsmeade on certain weekends."**

**Sarah's eyes lit up. "So it's like a shopping center, right?" she asked him.**

**Remus stared at her. "I don't think I'm going to answer that," he said.**

"**Why not?" Sarah pouted. **

"**I don't like the mad glint that you're getting in your eyes."**

**Sarah laughed. "There's no mad glint in my eyes, Remy, now answer my question."**

"**Yes, it's like a shopping center—"**

**Sarah squealed and grabbed Remus's hands and pulled him to his feet. "Oh my gosh, you have to take me, Remus."**

**Remus rolled his eyes. "Come on, we'll sign up for chaperones," he told her, walking with her towards the castle. **

"**Remy!" Sarah whined.**

"**What?"**

"**I don't wanna go as chaperones! Can't we just like…go? I don't want to have to baby-sit stupid children the whole time I'm there!" she said. **

**Remus stopped once they were in the castle. "There's no way for teachers to get there except by the chaperone carriage…but if you can be trusted…"**

"**I can be trusted, Remus, now just take me threw the probably illegal way you plan on getting there!" Sarah said.**

"**Alright, but you're not allowed to tell anyone about this."**

"**Never!" Sarah said dramatically.**

"**Sarah you're exasperating," Remus told her.**

"**I am not!" Sarah argued as she followed him up a few flights of stairs when they came to a strange statue of a one-eyed witch.**

"**Okay, here we are."**

"**What would _possess_ an architect to carve such a pathetic—" **

"**Dissendium"(A/N I thought that was the spell but correct me if I'm wrong) Remus said softly, tapping the witch's hump with his wand. Sarah gasped as the hump opened.**

"**Sarah, be quiet!" Remus told her when they arrived in Honkeyduke's cellar. Sarah had tripped over a box of chocolate and gave a angry yell when she saw it had gotten all over the bottom of her pajama bottoms.**

"**_Sorry_!" Sarah said as she tried to wipe the chocolate off. Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. Remus cursed and grabbed Sarah by the arm and pulled her into a dark corner. The worker saw the box of spilled chocolate and looked around. He caught sight of Sarah's shoe and began to walk towards them.**

"**Hey! Ye aren't Allowed down 'ere!" he said gruffly at them. They could both tell he was very angry. **

**Sarah looked at him. "Oh my goodness, look sweetie, we apparated to the wrong place. Sir, could you kindly point us towards the Village Of Hogsmeade?" Sarah asked him, faking a British accent. Sarah drew herself closer to Remus, placing one of her arms around his neck and the other on his chest. **

**The man glared at them. "Alright, I'll let ye by this time, but if ye do it again ye in for it," he said finally after a long minute of Sarah batting her long eyelashes and smiling flirtatiously at him.**

"**Thank you," Sarah said and pulled Remus up the stairs with her.**

"**Clever, Sarah, but you won't get lucky next time."**

"**Oh please, Remus. I had him eating out of the palm of my hand. You'll find I can be a _very _persuasive person when I want to be. And besides, it was _your _idea to come here illegally."**

"**It's not illegal! It's just that know one knows about it." **

"**Uh huh, sure," Sarah said. When they got to the door to exit Honkeyduke's, Remus held it open for her and she walked out. She grinned.**

"**Does it meet your standards, Sarah?" Remus asked.**

"**You make it sound as though I'm hard to please, Remus."**


	6. Apples

**Chapter 6**

**Apples**

"**I don't understand the wardrobe here. Why is it so different from muggle clothing?" Sarah asked Remus as they walked out of a book store, where Sarah had picked up several books to her liking. **

"**People here aren't as friendly to muggles as they are in America. There are groups who despise them and want to kill them all. Do you think they're going to copy their clothing chose when they're trying to hunt them down?" **

"**That's why I don't like it here. It's like everyone here hates anything that's different. All this prejudice crap with the half bloods and the purebloods and the muggle borns and the werewolves is driving me mad!"**

"**That's not true."**

"**What's not true?" Sarah asked.**

"**That everyone here hates anything that's different," Remus told her.**

"**Yes it is. In one way or another you all judge each other. For god's sake, you have houses to make it easier for you so that you don't have to get to know the person before you hate them."**

"**That's not what houses are for."**

"**No, maybe not. But it's what they do."**

**Remus sighed and looked around. Hermione and Harry were walking down the sidewalk and they both waved at them. Sarah and Remus raised their hands in acknowledgement. Sarah looked at the ground and shifted her bag from one hand the other, to give the one previously occupied a break.**

"**Let's go in here," Sarah said, grabbing Remus's hand and swerving around into a small shop at the end of the block. **

"**Of all places you need to go to a grocery store?" Remus asked as he followed her inside the small building.**

"**It may be foreign to you, Remy, but when I have a kitchen I do tend to stock it up with food. That is what it's for, you know."**

"**You don't have a kitchen though," Remus stated.**

**Sarah shot him a glare as she headed down the fruit isle. "_I_ don't, but _you_ do."**

"**Well maybe I changed my mind about letting you invade my kitchen."**

"**I'm not _invading_ your kitchen Remy. I'm using it. What's your favorite food in the whole wide world?" Sarah asked him, grinning.**

"**I haven't got one."**

"**Remy, apart from your name, you're a very boring person."**

"**Sorry, I'll try to be more intriguing," Remus said sarcastically.**

"**Look Remus! Apples!" Sarah exclaimed.**

"**I see."**

"**If I were a fruit, what kind do you think I'd be?" Sarah asked him.**

"**You ask pointless questions."**

"**Now, now, Remy, there's no such thing as a pointless question. You're a teacher, you should know that."**

"**The phrase actually goes, 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' not a pointless question."**

"**Same difference. Now answer my question."**

**Remus sighed. "I don't know…uh…something tropical?"**

"**A pineapple?" **

"**Nah, something smaller."**

"**How about an orange?"**

"**Too pompous."**

"**A coconut?"**

"**I hate coconuts."**

"**Well pick a fruit."**

"**A kiwi. You're a kiwi."**

**Sarah beamed at him. "You're good, that's my favorite fruit!"**

**Remus laughed. "Alright what am I?"**

"**Umm…you're defiantly to boring to be anything tropical. Though you could pass for the inside of a coconut. No...You're a green apple."**

"**An apple?"**

"**Yup."**

"**Isn't that a bit plain?"**

"**No. Apple's aren't plain they're simple. Simple, but they're really sweet."**

**Remus laughed and picked up an apple and threw it towards Sarah. She attempted to catch it but failed. **

"**Remus! I'm not paying for that!"**

"**Watch," Remus said and he kicked the apple under a table with grapes on it.**

**Sarah burst out in laughter and shoved Remus. "That's horrible!"**

"**You were supposed to catch it!"**

"**I'm not hand-eye coordinated and I don't have quick reflexes. How do expect me to catch it when you don't give me a fair warning?"**

"**You didn't give me a fair warning when you hit me with my book back in my room!"**

"**Well you deserved it! Calling me bulimic!" **

"**Well so did you! Calling me an Apple!"**

"**You know you still haven't answered my question on the bath tub!"**

"**You don't take a hint well do you?"**

"**Of course I do. Your hinting that you don't like talking about it and you think it's inappropriate."**

"**Yes, so why must you pester me?"**

"**Because even if you had said 'no' outright, I would still continue to ask you."**

"**Fine."**

"**Fine that your accepting that I'll never go away or fine that I can use you bath tub."**

"**Both, but once I come back you're leaving. Pretty soon you'll want to share closets."**

"**Well actually mine's very small—"**

"**No."**

**Sarah huffed and followed Remus towards the vegetable isle.**


	7. Trees

Chapter 7

Trees

The next morning, Sunday, Remus got up and carried papers that needed to be graded out by the lake around 9. No one was up yet, being it still a weekend, so the grounds were quiet and deserted. Remus sat by a tree and removed a piece of long rolled up parchment.

Unrolling it, he saw that it was an essay written by Hermione Granger. Remus groaned, knowing how long it was going to take. Hermione was a amazing, intelligent, sweet, talented witch. But that did not mean Remus enjoyed grading her papers. Long and tedious hours were spent grading some of Hermione's papers. She always just had to put that little extra 3 rolls of parchment. Remus had asked for 5. He, and although he had expected no less from her, had gotten 8. Not to mention her handwriting was miniscule.

Remus sighed, leaning against the tree and stretching his legs out and crossing them, deciding to get comfortable, he would be here for a while. He took his quill out and dipped it in ink and began the first few lines of Hermione's essay. It's like reading out of textbook, he thought.

It did not help that there was a very strange noise coming from above him. It was very distracting and when ever he looked up to see what it was, there was nothing there, but the crunching noise continued.

It must have been his imagination, because it soon came to abrupt halt, and then a thump was heard behind the tree. Remus looked around it but there was nothing there.

A cool gust of wind breezed past him and there was no more sound but that of the rustling of tree leaves. Remus looked back down at his paper, thinking maybe he would get some peace and quiet. He had finished the first two paragraphs of the essay when something dropped on his head. Remus reached up and removed a twig with green leaves on it from the tree above. He frowned and looked at the twig. It looked like it had been forced off.

Before Remus could analyze the situation further, another twig dropped on his shoulder. It looked just as torn off as the first one. He looked up, thinking he would perhaps see one of the early bird first years acting immature as always. The tree held nothing but leaves. He looked back down at his paper. The first two twigs had been coincidence. But as the third twig fell on his head he let out a frustrated but slightly muffled yell. Laughter erupted from the tree above him, ringing in his ears like a loud bell.

A head poked out from the large quantity of leaves that Remus wasn't able to see past. The head held mirthful chocolate eyes and a pair of open laughing lips. Sarah.

"Sarah!" Remus hissed.

She laughed at him again. "I'm sorry, but when I saw you come into the grounds I couldn't resist."

"What was the noise?"

Sarah threw her head back and laughed. She reached her hands out to the nearest sturdy branch and grabbed it, letting her body hang from it. She was wearing the same pajama bottoms of the day before, but her large baggy sweat shirt was abandoned, and in its place was a white camisole, which rose up above her belly-button as she hung from the tree.

"Can I get some help here?" She asked.

"You got up there; can't you get down by yourself?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "Remy, haven't you ever climbed a tree?"

"Err, yeah, when I was 9. And stop calling me that."

Sarah ignored his request. "Well if you recall then you would know that getting down from a tree is 10 times harder then climbing up one."

"Well I'm sorry I don't recall," Remus said.

"I'll forgive you if you help me down."

Remus couldn't help but laughing at her. He walked over to her and reached up and put his hands on her waist. "Let go," he told her. She did. He set her on the ground and then removed his hands. "If you knew it was hard to get up there, why did you go up there?"

"I was banking on the fact that you'd come and save me."

"I see."

"Since I know none of the other teachers would help me."

Remus grinned at her. "You know I was grading one of Hermione's papers when you decided to drop things on my head."

"What's wrong with that?" Sarah asked, tilting her head to one side, her eyes wide with innocence.

"What's wrong with that? Look at this!" Remus said bending over and giving it to Sarah. "8 pieces of parchment. It's the first week of school and I only asked for 5."

Sarah laughed. "Well since I'm your little assistance teacher, give it to me to grade."

Remus looked at her like she was an angel and handed the paper to her. "Do you have a pen?" Sarah asked him.

"A what?"

"A quill," Sarah corrected herself.

"Yeah, here," Remus said and he handed her a white quill.

"Watch this, I'm really good at it," Sarah said and on the parchment she drew in 'O'. "I'm done."

"You didn't even read it!"

"She's obviously intelligent. You know you'll end up giving the paper an O anyway. Why waste your time reading it?"

Remus shrugged. "Well while your at it you can look at some lesson plans back in my office," he said.

"Okey-Dokey!" Sarah said, grinning at him. "I don't know what time your lesson's are at either."

"I'll give you the schedule when we get to my office," Remus said and he and Sarah walked silently back to the DADA room. "I only gave practical lessons this week so I haven't had too much to do."

"If you only gave practical lessons then where did Hermione's essay come from?" Sarah asked.

"Homework," Remus responded.

Sarah scrunched up her nose. "Homework? On the first week back? Are you mad?"

"Apparently. Ah, here we are—" Remus broke off and picked up one of the picture frames Sarah had set on his desk.

"What's the matter?" Sarah asked.

Remus looked at her and then back at the picture. "Do you know the people in this picture?" he asked her.

"Obviously, I'm in it."

"Where?" Remus asked.

"On the left of the guy."

"And the girl on the right?"

"Lauren Caps," Sarah said, looked at Remus oddly. Then her eyes got a sparkle. "You might have known her! Oh, she went to Hogwarts. Changed her name to something though."

"Lily Evans?" Remus asked, breathing hard.

"That's the one."

"You said you went to her wedding?"

"I was a bridesmaid."

"Do you remember how I told you about the woman who had to weddings?"

Sarah gasped and then grinned. "Oh my god! Remus, I remember you! You were my escort! In the wedding in America!"

"Well Harry will most likely warm up to you now," Remus said, also grinning.

"This is unbelievable! But what does that have to do with Harry?"

"Lily was his mom," Remus responded.

A/N: This will be the last update for about a week, because I'm going on vacation.


	8. Church

Chapter 8

Church

Sarah froze and it took several minutes for Remus's words to have an affect on her. At first she was shocked, then excited, thinking if Lauren was Harry's mom, then Sarah would have no problem getting in touch with her. And then Sarah understood as the feeling of dread overwhelmed her until she thought she might cry.

"Oh," she said. Her words were quiet and soft.

Remus looked at the ground, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Sarah," he told her.

Sarah drew a sharp intake of breath and then shook her head. "It's not your fault. She was," her breath hitched, "murdered?"

Remus nodded slowly, putting his hands on her waste and Sarah put her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely.

"I have to go," Sarah said gently, they let go of each other and Sarah headed for the door.

"Wait!" Remus shouted when Sarah had reached the exit. "Take the lesson plans and look over them," he said handing them to her. She took them and then left quickly with out a word.

Once back in her room, she sat on her bed. It didn't bother her enough to cry, she had known Lauren to long ago to truly be able to greave her death. But the essence of the fact that she was _connected_ with the people here scared her. She had _known _Remus before she had even come here. She had known James, Sirius, and even McGonagall.

And she didn't _want _connections with these people. She didn't want to be involved with the Order or the Death Eaters or Voldemort. She wanted this year to end so she could collect her money, leave, and completely forget that this had ever happened.

It was ten o'clock. Sarah looked at the calendar, it was Sunday. Dumbledore had informed her earlier in the week that her house had been connected to the floo network. Church started at eleven. Sarah figured she could get there in time if she just dropped off Remus's lesson plans in the Occlumency classroom to remind her to look at them.

Before she did so, she changed into a black, knee length skirt, and a soft purple blouse. She kicked off the athletic shoes she was wearing, and put on black open toed high heels.

She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and let it hang loosely behind her shoulders. The lesson plans remained on her dresser as Sarah looked herself over in the mirror. Deciding that she looked suitable enough for church, she left her room with the folder containing DADA lesson plans and walked gracefully to the Occlumency classroom.

"They are so stupid, he completely blew me off!"

"I know! Ron didn't even say anything to me! He just told me that he was going to hang out with Harry for the rest of the day!"

"You two just started dating and Ron's already being stupid and effing things up."

Ginny and Hermione conversed for a long time with out noticing that Sarah was just behind them. When she gave a cough to signal that she was walking behind them, they turned around looking bewildered.

"Having boy trouble, girls?" Sarah asked, she looked completely amused by the entire ordeal.

Ginny frowned. "Erm, yeah."

"What did Harry do this time?"

"We had a date tonight because we were fighting a lot this week. It was probably just back to school stress. Harry blew it off and said he was going to hang out with my brother instead, because they needed to catch up on flying because the bloody season is starting soon."

"I see. Did Ron do the same thing, Hermione?" Hermione nodded. Sarah laughed, "Ok, Ginny, the next time you're going on a date with Harry, cancel and say that you're hanging out with Hermione because he's being too clingy and you need your space. Hermione, the next time you and Ron have a date, cancel five days in advance and when he asks why, you say because you aren't in the mood."

Ginny and Hermione laughed and Sarah smiled. "Where are you going anyway Sarah?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, why are you so dressed up?" said Hermione.

"Oh I'm about to floo back to the U.S to attend a church service. It's better then hanging around here anyway."

"Are you going to go back to America every Sunday?" Hermione inquired.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, probably."

"Well I suppose that's nice. You won't get that homesick." Ginny said.

Sarah smiled. "I don't get homesick; I get bored, which was obvious ever since I came here. How would you like to come?"

"To church with you?" Hermione asked. Sarah nodded. "I don't know, all my nice muggle clothes are at my house."

"I don't have any nice clothes. Not like that anyway," Ginny said, gesturing to Sarah's clothes.

"Oh who cares? You're my size, once me floo to my place you can borrow some of my stuff."

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and smiled. "Ok, we'll come," Ginny said.

"Excellent! Just let me throw these in my classroom." Sarah said and set the lesson plan folder on her desk once they had arrived in her classroom.

They went back to Sarah's chamber's, which amazed Hermione and Ginny, since they had never been in the teacher's wing, let alone their rooms. "Ok, you have both used floo powder before right?" Sarah asked. They both nodded. "Ok, when you go in the fire you're going to say '409 Cinnamon Lane, U.S.A.' got it?"

They nodded and they both went before Sarah. She looked around her room on last time and then followed them. It took a few moments longer to floo across seas, but they got there in time.

Sarah had fallen clumsily out of the fire place and she inferred that Ginny and Hermione had also, because they were both on the floor.

"Sorry, I never removed the logs. I took a plane to England and Dumbledore was the one that connected my house to the network," Sarah explained as they all got to their feet. "Come up to me room and I'll get you something to wear."

Sarah's closet was huge. Not only that, but it was also filled. "Wow," Ginny said looked around it.

"Ok Gin, you where this," Sarah said, handing Ginny a navy blue dress. It cut off above her knee and it was a halter dress from Ralph Lauren with a collar.

"This is nice. It doesn't look as though I would fit you though," Ginny said.

"It doesn't. I bought it 1 size too small by accident. Oh this will look great on you Hermione!" Sarah said, producing a khaki knee length skirt and a turquoise blouse like her own. "Ok you to change into that and I have to get something from my bathroom."

Sarah left and Ginny began to put on the dress. "I don't believe she let us come here with her. She's so laid-back and lenient, but that advice she gave on Harry and Ron was perfect! She acts like she's our age almost," Ginny said.

"Yeah, except she's gorgeous and has a closet that's bigger than my own room!" Hermione said giggling as she did the button up on her blouse.

"Not to mention her teeth are perfect. Do you think she uses teeth whitening charms?"

"I don't know. I suppose it's possible." Hermione said as she started to put the skirt on.

"What's possible?" Sarah asked from the door way.

Hermione zipped up the side of her skirt and then said, "Do you use teeth whitening charms?"

Sarah laughed. "No. I've never altered my face with magic. I do not, however, claim to have natural beauty."

"Did you get plastic surgery or something?" Ginny asked.

"No, I went to the tanning bed, dyed my hair, had braces."

"So then how are your teeth so white?"

"Crest White Strips. They're a muggle product you can get at drugstores."

"I've heard of them," Hermione said, "My mom says they're bad for your teeth. She says whitening damages your teeth or something, and in the long run makes them yellow."

"Your mom sounds intelligent. It's true. It wears down some natural whitening thing on your teeth and if you stop using whitening, after a while your teeth will turn yellow. My theory is to not stop whitening. Screw nature, technology works faster." Sarah said grinning.

Hermione and Ginny laughed and they left Sarah's closet and walked into her small bed room. Sarah was carrying a brush in her right hand, a silver barrette in the other along with something else that Ginny couldn't see.

"Ok, 'Mione, sit on the edge of the bed." Hermione did as she was told and Sarah sat behind her up on her knees. She brushed Hermione's hair back and then put the barrette in it. When she was done she moved behind Ginny

"What's that?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not really sure what it's called but I'm using it to put your hair in a bun. I love your hair. I've always loved red hair but I always thought it would look unnatural on me. Harry's mom had gorgeous red hair."

Ginny jerked her head from Sarah's hands and turned to stare at her. Hermione also looked surprised. "How do you know what Harry's mom looked like?"

Sarah smile gently. "We're old friends. I think it's only fair that I tell Harry first, so I won't say anymore. I didn't even know until about a half hour ago."

Ginny was quiet the rest of the time Sarah brushed her hair. Twisting the red locks into a knot on Ginny's head, Sarah then stuck a hair thing into it to hold it in place.

"How ironic is it that Hermione's dating Ron and Ginny is dating Harry?" Sarah said absentmindedly.

"How is it ironic?" Hermione asked.

"Well think about it, if you all got married, then all of you would be related." Sarah responded, hopping off the bed and gesturing for Hermione and Ginny to follow her.

Ginny looked thoughtful. "Your right, since Ron and I are brothers, and Harry and I got married, that would make Ron his brother, and then if Hermione got married to Ron, she's be my sister, and I guess Harry's also. I never though about it like that before," she said, following Sarah out the door to the garage.

Sarah owned a Jeep that was red and looked slightly old. It didn't have a top, so Ginny wondered how Sarah got around when it rained. Sarah got in the drivers seat and Hermione sat beside her. Ginny sat in the back where a lemon shaped air freshener hung beside her, occasionally hitting her in the head as they headed down the bumpy driveway.

The car almost seemed to reflect Sarah's personality. It had been scarred from the past, as Sarah had, by rips in the leather seats. It had been slightly rusted around the wheel against its will. But there was a quirky side to it, that seemed teenage like and naïve, such as the dice hanging from the rearview mirror, or the heavily studded and jeweled hot pink sun glasses that sat untouched by the gear. If you looked closer, it also hinted a touch of classiness and preppiness. There were polka dotted ribbons tied around the steering wheel, and pretty, silk pink flowers poked into crack where the glove compartment was.

Sarah took a turn into a long driveway that lead to a parking lot, which Ginny assumed belonged to the church in front of them. Hermione however looked puzzled. "Sarah," she said softly, looking at the building. "I used to go to a church also, before I went to Hogwarts, and this looks_ nothing_—"

Sarah interrupted her. "I know. What kind of Christian were you? Orthodox?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I was Catholic."

"I see. Well you were more than likely going to some big fancy cathedral. I'm Presbyterian, so the churches look different. I mean, I've only gone to three churches in my entire life and two of them were Catholic, so I don't know if all Presbyterian churches look like this."

Ginny looked confused and didn't say anything, but Hermione gave her a glance that said she would explain later. As they walked into the church 'lobby' (as Sarah called it) a woman approached Sarah smiling.

She was pretty, to say the least, and had blonde wavy hair that stopped at her shoulders. Her eyes were hazel and she was very short and thin, like Sarah, though her skin was several shades lighter than Sarah's. She had a little girl in her arms that was wearing a pink dress. She and Sarah hugged before the stranger, who looked about 36, spoke

"Sarah!" she said enthusiastically. Then in undertone she asked, "Did you floo back here?"

Sarah nodded and smiled. "Yes and I brought two of my students with me. This is Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Girls, this is my step-sister Natalie Johnson."

"Nice to meet you," Natalie said and shook their hands. "This is my daughter, Melody."

"She's sweet," Ginny said.

"Hey Sarah!" some one called from across the room and a man came through the crowds holding hands with a 9 year old boy. The man came over to her and let go of his son, who grinned at Sarah with his two front teeth missing. The man put his hands on Sarah's upper arms and kissed her on the cheek.

"Dad! Stop trying to change the topic—" said a girl running up behind the man. She saw Sarah and smiled. "Sarah!" she said and hugged her.

"Hey Abby!" Sarah said smiling. Abby looked about Ginny's age with straight, dark brown hair, like her father's. She had her mother's hazel eyes but she had put eyeliner and mascara on so they stood out more.

"I didn't think I'd see you until at least Christmas! Did you get fired or something?" Abby asked and Sarah grinned.

"No I'm just back for the day. I brought two students with me. This is Ginny, she's your age, and Hermione, who's one year older. Ginny, Hermione, this is Natalie's husband Gary, their 9 year old son Daniel, and their daughter, Abby. Let's go in, shall we?" Sarah said in one breath and then led them in through a door. They sat in the 5th to last row and they wait for the service to begin.

Gary sat down on the end with his wife to his right, and then Daniel sat beside Natalie and Sarah sat beside Daniel. Abby seemed almost attached to Sarah's arm from the moment she set eyes on her, so naturally, she sat next to Sarah, and then Ginny and Hermione.

Several people had gotten up in the front of the room to sing and play musical instruments. Natalie excused herself from them and went to join the group as a singer. She preformed four songs before sitting back down next to Gary. There was a tall man in the front starting the sermon.

After an hour Sarah and Gary stood and seemed to just leave. Ginny frowned and turned around to see where she was going. "Oh don't worry," Abby said, "Aunt Sarah does the offerings with my dad."

"Oh," Ginny said, not really understanding what that meant. However Sarah soon came to the end of their row with a silver bowl that she handed to Natalie, who put in a piece of green paper that Ginny assumed was money. She handed it to Abby who handed it to Ginny who handed it to Hermione who gave it to Gary who was waiting at the end of the row. He gave her a friendly smile and took the offering bowl from her and gave it to the row in front.


	9. Empty Soda Cans

Chapter 9

Empty Soda Cans

After Church, Sarah brought Hermione and Ginny back to her house, and Abby and her mom followed. When they went inside Natalie and Sarah went into the kitchen, and Abby stayed with Hermione and Ginny in the family room.

"I am so jealous of both of you, being witches. I think that is so amazing," Abby told them as the sat down on the couch (Abby was on the chair).

Ginny smiled. "I'm surprised you even know about us. I mean if your mom knew that's one thing but I always thought magic was a lot more confidential."

"Oh it is," Abby said. "It's just that Aunt Sarah is very close to my family and I. My grandpa married Sarah's mom after his wife was killed in a car accident. My mom was an only child and she was 2 years older than Aunt Sarah."

"How old was Sarah when all this happened?" Hermione asked.

"Well, her dad left her family when she turned 11, you can guess why, and so it was just Aunt Sarah, her mom, and her big brother. But when she was 12 I think my grandpa came into the picture. Aunt Sarah's mom and he got married a year after. Except, he didn't move in right away because of his work. Apparently my mom went with him for the year he was away."

"I didn't know that Sarah had a brother," Hermione said thoughtfully.

Abby frowned. She leaned into them and whispered, "Well, I wasn't actually supposed to tell you that, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it. Aunt Sarah and her brother don't talk anymore, due to a big fight they had in his senior year. I don't know what it's about. I think to only one Aunt Sarah told what it was about was my mom, but she hasn't told me anything. But I've heard her and dad talking and I do know this. Aunt Sarah's brother got really drunk one night, and came back ordering Sarah around, so she did what she was told but got really fed up and I think that's what triggered the fight."

"Surely something else would have happened that caused them to stop talking," Ginny said, frowning.

"There is. Something really big was going on before that but I just don't know what it is," Abby said, her voice still not rising above a whisper.

"Do you know her brother?" Hermione asked, looking at the door that led to the kitchen, where a loud clatter had been heard.

"No. The last I heard he was in California. He—" Abby was cut off when the door opened.

"Come on in, girls, we made some tea," Natalie told them from the door. They stood up and went into the kitchen.

Sarah was at the table staring at Abby with her eyes narrowed. Abby turned red and took the mug that was sitting on the counter.

"What kind of tea is this?" Ginny asked as she smelled it.

"Well, we used tea bags I'm afraid, and American tea it much weaker than your tea, so you probably won't like it, but if you don't just feel free to go get something out of my fridge," Sarah responded, stirring the tea with her mug without taking a sip.

"Abby!" Natalie exclaimed, suddenly jumping to her feet.

"Yes mom?" Abby asked in a monotone voice that gave the impression that this was a common event.

Ginny and Hermione sat down and watched Natalie stick her mug in the fridge, and then running back and doing the same with Abby's.

"Hey!" Abby said angrily.

"Get up, you have dance practice, I just remembered!" Natalie said.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Can't I skip today mom? Sarah's just come back!"

"No you may not. You skipped last week because Sarah had left and then you skipped the week before because you sick!"

"I hate ballet mom!" Abby said as she stood and lifelessly hugged Sarah. "See you next week I suppose," she said dully to Sarah. She turned to Ginny and Hermione. "Nice to meet you two, I'll see you later." And she then slugged into the garage without looking at her mother.

"That child…" Natalie muttered before taking out her keys. "I'll see you Sarah. It was good to meet you to, see you later."

"Have a good one," Sarah said. Natalie nodded and rushed out.

"They were nice," Ginny said, breaking the silence after 10 minutes of not talking.

"Yes. And very informative," Sarah said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Abby shouldn't have told you what she did. She knows you're trustworthy because I brought you home, but she ought to be more careful. That girl knows more than she should about my brother."

"How did you know she told us that?" Ginny asked.

"I eavesdropped."

"Err, if you don't mind me asking, what did happen between you and your brother?" Hermione asked as she took a sip of her tea.

Sarah sighed. "Jake Bern was a bad person. That's all you need to know. I haven't talked to him in nearly 22 years, apart for a 5 second phone call. He isn't someone I regret knowing, but he is someone I regret liking."

"We didn't mean to be nosy," Ginny said.

"You weren't being nosy…I just haven't thought about Jake in a long time and it makes me feel uncomfortable. I bet he's homeless and on the street somewhere. And to think he was a 7 year old boy who let me play toy soldiers with him," Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

No one said anything, for a while, so Hermione broke the silence. "Are going to stay here for the rest of the day?"

"I was planning to. Why? Are you bored?" Sarah asked.

"No, no! I just wondered."

"I'm going to change into something more comfortable, come on, just leave your glasses on the table." Sarah told them with a smile and then heading upstairs.

Ginny and Hermione followed her, but once Sarah had gotten near the top, her foot slipped off the step and she fell forward on the stairs, kicking Ginny's shins in the process. Ginny landed on her knees and Sarah gave a shriek as she began to skid down the steps to she was right next to Ginny. Ginny grabbed her arm, but because of the awkward angle it did nothing but twirl Sarah a little and knock Hermione into the wall, which caused her to also fall, but she grabbed onto the banister just in time to stop herself from hitting the ground. Hermione's body prevented Sarah from falling down further, so she got a chance to stand.

Once they had all reach the top of the stairs Sarah doubled over and started laughing. Ginny smiled. "That was a delayed reaction," she told Sarah.

This made Sarah laugh even harder, but her attempts at speech only made Hermione and Ginny start laughing as well. Ginny fell to the ground, quaking with silent laughter. Sarah's hair toppled into her face as she crashed into the wall uncontrollably. Once she had regained the ability of speech, she said, "I was holding it in so I wouldn't cause another calamity on the staircase."

Later that evening, around 6 or so, Sarah, Ginny, Hermione, and Abby, all sat on Sarah's bed talking and painting their nails. It seemed cliché, but Sarah used to do it all the time with Natalie and their cousin Gina. Abby had come by around 3 or 4 to drop off one of Sarah's shirts that she had borrowed.

"And then he gave me a bunch of bull crap about how I'm too young to date Brandon, when we're only like 3 years apart!" Abby finished. She had gotten quite worked up during her story of her dramatic breakup with her 19 year old boyfriend.

Ginny giggled. "Sorry, but the whole concept is very Weasleyish. I mean, when this guy at my school, Dean, and I were dating over the summer, my older twin brothers Fred and George tricked them into testing out a new addition to they're skiving snack boxes! Some stupid thing called a Barfing Bar. I swear to god that Dean was projectile vomiting for over an hour!"

Sarah, who had just put a handful of popcorn in her mouth, burst out laughing. "Barfing Bars? Skiving Snack Boxes?"

Hermione grinned. "You think it's funny now but when their products aren't finished, they've got some pretty nasty side effects. They gave me this horrible stuff called Pink-Eye Powder by hiding it in my spaghetti! And do you know how pink and itchy my eyes were for the rest of the day? Harry thought I was on drugs!"

By then, they were all laughing hysterically and Sarah had given up her futile attempt of eating or drinking anything. "Do they sell these products? I bet they'd make a fortune!" she said.

"They do actually. They own a shop in Diagon Ally. It's called Weasley's Wizarding Wheezies." Ginny said.

Sarah laughed hard, nearly spilling a bottle of clear nail polish. "I think I'll pay them a little visit the next time I'm there! Abby, hand me that top coat by your left knee. No the clear one. Thanks. So Hermione, how's it going with Ron, besides today's little escapade?"

Hermione made a face. "He's been acting really weird lately. He always stops talking when I come in the room, and he never responds when I'm talking to him and he always have this far away look on his face when he's supposedly doing homework."

"You know, Harry's been acting like that too!" Ginny said, frowning.

"Maybe they're planning something," Abby suggested.

"Yeah but that wouldn't make since. There's no reason to plan anything! And it has to be something involving us or they'd tell us." Hermione said.

"Is one of you're birthday's coming up or something?" Sarah asked.

They shook their heads. "No, my birthday's not for a couple of week's and Ginny's birthday is in June."

Sarah shrugged. "Well you'll just have to wait and see. Abby, can you get up and look at that clock on my bureau please?"

Abby stood and picked up the clock on the bureau. Sarah was not exactly a clean person, so makeup and jewelry cluttered the cherry wood surface of the antique bureau. The clock was wedged between a Sunkist soda can and a straightening iron. Abby lift the pink instrument, and in the process knocked the soda can of the bureau. She took several steps back and the can landed in one of the open drawers. Abby darted forward and grabbed the can and set in on the bureau, and then slammed the drawer shut with her hands. Her body was press up against the four drawers, and she was shaking slightly.

Sarah laughed. "Don't worry, that can was empty."

Abby nodded vigorously, her eyes why. "Uh huh. Yeah. Empty." Her nose was flared and her expression made Sarah's eye's widen. She jumped off the bed and yanked open the drawer that the can had fallen into. On one of her shirts was a big, bright orange spot. Sarah turned her head towards Abby with her eyebrows raised.

"Empty?" Sarah asked her menacingly.

Abby gave a nervous laugh. Sarah burst out laughing again and Abby let out a sigh of relief. Sarah put her arm around her shoulders and Abby also began to laugh. Soon after Ginny and Hermione joined in. The night pasted quickly and around 8:30, Sarah announced that they had to leave. Abby said good bye to them, looking a little down hearted. But Sarah assured her they would be back the following week.


	10. Departures

A/N: This is going to be a REALLY short chapter. The next one will be fairly long though.

Chapter 10

Departures

On Monday of Sarah's second week at Hogwarts, Remus was supposed to be leaving. Sarah woke up around 9 and strode into his room, which was right next to hers.

"Remus?" she called as she stood in the living room looking around.

"I'm in here!" came the reply from the bedroom. She poked her head in and saw Remus packing his suitcase with robe after robe, after robe.

"Do you really need this many robes, Remus?" Sarah asked, laughing.

"Yes I do," he said defensively.

Sarah smirked and hoped on his bed unashamed, and crossed her legs. "You're only staying for two weeks. Won't there be like a…washing machine or something where ever you're staying? Is necessary to pack a new robe for each day? Personally, I wouldn't pack robes at all. I think they're really tacky and unfeminine."

Remus chuckled. "Sarah, you're one of a kind, you know that?"

Sarah laughed stuck her tongue out. "Of course I am. What did you expect when Dumbledore hired an American as your substitute?"

"Someone a lot less like you and a lot more like Lily."

Sarah sighed and laid down on the bed. Remus raised his eyebrows at her. "What are you doing now?" he asked. Sarah glared at him and narrowed her eyes. She casually rolled off the bed and landed in a thump on the floor.

When she stood up her hair had turned red and her eyes green. "Better?" Sarah asked, feigning a British accent.

Remus laughed. "Not quite. Red looks a little unnatural on you. I think you should stick with your caramel."

Sarah scolded. "And my eyes?"

"Completely fake. Your accent wasn't to great either."

"Alright. What about Brown hair and blue eyed?"

"Try it."

Sarah lifted her wand to her hair and tapped it and it suddenly it transformed to very dark and curly. Her eyes changed also to a blue color, not really blue, but a sort of mix between hazel, green, blue, and gray. "What about now?" she asked sweetly.

Remus smiled. "Surprisingly, it isn't that bad."

"Surprisingly! What did you expect?"

"I always associated brown hair and blue eyes to a woman who was more subdued than you are."

Sarah laughed. "Do you prefer subdued women to women who actually think for themselves."

"When a woman is calm they are not always necessarily brainless."

"I never said they were brainless. I said that calm women who let men like you push them around have no mind of there own."

"Men like me? What's that supposed to mean?" Remus asked as he put a shirt in his suitcase.

"You know, macho guys like you who prefer 'subdued' women."

"I never said that I preferred subdued women did I?"

Sarah glared at him. "I find it pointless to argue with you. I'm afraid we are at the same intellectually debating level. And I so wanted someone to fight with. It gives me something to do."

"You aren't easily satisfied, are you, Sarah?" Remus asked. She shook her head, grinning.

"Well I'm done packing. Want to see me to the gates?" Remus asked, pulling Sarah to her feet.

"Duh. How are you getting to London anyway?"

"I'm taking a carriage ride just out of Hogsmeade, then I'll apparate to my friend's house and stay there."

"Who's you're friend?" Sarah asked as they walked out of his room. Sarah had by then changed her hair back to normal, much to Remus's protests.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt. He and his wife have arranged for me to stay in their guest house."

"Do they work for the order?" Sarah asked.

Remus nodded. "He's an auror. His wife is in it to, but she doesn't do much now. She's 7 months pregnaunt and Kingsley refuses to let her do anything."

"He's probably another one of those macho guys like you." Sarah muttered. Remus laughed again.

Once the carriage in the front of the castle arrived, Remus said goodbye to Sarah and then got in it. She waved at him and watched his carriage, for lack of anything better to do, until she could no longer.


	11. Fine Wine and Flashbacks

Chapter 11

Fine Wine and Flashbacks.

1st year students don't know anything. They are ignorant and unprepared. Sarah felt as though everyone in the school was behind in their studied. She knew that technically they weren't, because American wizarding schools start a year later than the European schools, so Sarah started school when she was 12 instead of 11. This meant that they had to learn things quicker than the British did. Also the children that grew up around magic went to a wizarding pre-school that taught the basics of wizardry, so the basics weren't covered when the children went to the real schools. Sarah had to learn several things before she even went to school, and then move at an extremely fast pace when she got there.

"Mr. Cambelle, I am waiting for an answer," Sarah said, glaring at the frightened looking first year. It had been a very long day and class was almost out. Thankfully, she had Remus's beautiful bath tub to look forward to, and the thought had gotten her through most of the day.

"Errr…The Shield Charm?"

Sarah sighed and nodded her head, although not at all satisfied. "Mr. Cambelle, make sure to study your lesson tonight, as it is clear you didn't read the material in class today."

"I got the answer right, though!"

"I don't care if you get every answer right from now until the end of the year unless you are 100 percent positive of it. Next class we will be performing the shield charm, so practice the wand movements. Have a good day, class dismissed."

The students were out of her classroom in one second flat. Sarah took a deep breath and stretched out. She stood up lazily summoned all of the papers on the desks to her own. She stacked them neatly in a pile, and then placed the inside the vanilla folder the remained the one thing in her life that was organized. On her way to the way to the great hall, she dropped the folder off in her office where she spent most of her time grading papers.

Since the week before when Remus's had left, her life had become purely routine. Get up at 8, get ready for the day, head to her cold and ugly classroom and wait for students to come in, usually staring in wonder at the girl in the wooden frame with the long red hair. She would stay in the ugly room until 12, when she would go to the great hall for a change of scenery and stuff some strange and foreign meal down her throat. She would then go back to her classroom and teach until 4, and then she would come back and grade class work and homework and tests for about four or five hours. She would then take an hour long nap, most of the time over sleeping, so that would take up about 2 hours of her time. By then it was 10. She hadn't used Remus's bath yet because of her busy schedule, and was always too tired. She took very quick showers at night and then crawled into bed around 10:30.

When Sarah entered the great hall, several people greeted her enthusiastically, and she waved back just as happy. No one in Europe would ever see her true smile. Not when she was so bored and lifeless.

The day before she had again taken Hermione and Ginny to church with her, but they didn't linger as they had the previous weekend. They returned just 10 minutes after the service had ended. Sarah had hundreds of written answer tests that she had to grade, and she could not possibly waste the day in America when there was so much to do back at Hogwarts.

Sarah sat down in her seat next to McGonagall. They briskly acknowledged each other and silently ate their dinner. She couldn't wait to use Remus's bath. She had practical lessons for the rest of the week, so she could grade the papers from today another time.

Once Sarah had arrive to the room, she walked immediately into her bathroom without even taking off her shoes. She grabbed her bath oil, a comb and brush, lotion, body spray, and a toothbrush and she dumped them on a clean white towel. She also retrieved her bathrobe and a silk light purple night gown that was trimmed with lace and cut off around her upper thigh, and it had a slit that went up to her hip on one side.

She wrapped everything up in the towel and walked into Remus's room. She set all of her oil and lotion around the large tub, and put her brush and toothbrush on Remus's empty vanity. She hung her robe and lingerie on the hook on the door and then turned the faucets on the tubs until she had the right temperature, and then plugged the drain.

The tub was deep so she knew it would take time for it to fill completely. In the meantime Sarah walked into the gorgeous kitchen which she found herself spending all of her very limited free time in. She had put a bottle of wine in the wine cooler that she had picked up at her house yesterday, and she happily opened it and retrieved a wine glass from the cupboard.

As she walked back into Remus's bathroom, she found her thoughts drifting back to Lauren, or Lily. It had been with Lily when Sarah had had her first alcoholic beverage.

_"Hey Sarah, are the Caps here yet? I thought I heard their car," Jake asked Sarah. Sarah peered out of her bed room window. _

_"Yes, their car is in the driveway now." _

_"Mom has gone insane, Sarah. Have you gone downstairs yet? Everything is either red, white, blue, or has an American flag plastered on it. She filled the clear cookie jar with red, white, and blue shiny ribbons and she has a star shaped candle with the American flag on it in every corner of the house. I wouldn't be surprised if she paints red and white stripes on the toilet seats!" Jake said incredulously._

_"Of course. But she loves the forth of July. She gets more excited over this than Christmas," Sarah responded as she and her brother left her room._

_"It's just because there are people over. You know she wouldn't get this worked up if it were just us."_

_"I know, but—" Sarah was cut off by the doorbell. Sarah gave a huge smile and raced ahead of Jake and down the stairs. She cut off her mother and yanked open the door excitedly. _

_"Hello, Sarah," Mrs. Caps said smiling. She was the image of her daughter but with more defined features and maturity. She held in her hands a circular object with aluminum foil over it. _

_"Hi, Sandra!" Sarah's mother said, letting the four people in the doorway. Naturally, Sandra and Nick Caps were first, and then their daughter, Lauren, and Sandra's mother, Isabella Mere. Lauren and Sarah ran upstairs to Sarah's room and once inside Lauren kicked off the shoes she was wearing._

_"Those things are evil. Look at the marks on my foot? My mom made me wear them though. Ouch."_

_Sarah laughed. "What did you did on the French test we got back today…"_

_After dinner, Mrs. Caps and her mother went to help Sarah's mom clean the dishes in the kitchen while Sarah, Lauren, her brother and their dad's sat and talked in the family room._

_"Hey dad?" Sarah called._

_"Yes?" Her father responded. _

_"Can I try something from the bar?" she asked him._

_He nodded to her. "Sure, but ask whenever you want to try something in there." _

_"I know, you've told me a million times," Sarah said as she and Lauren opened the cabinet doors to the bar. They looked through bottle after bottle of wine and whisky and gin. Sarah stopped at a green glass rectangular bottle that interested her. "Can I try this, dad?" Sarah asked, holding up the bottle for her father to see. He smiled and nodded._

_Lauren gave Sarah a shot glass from under a napkin and held it as Sarah filled it to the point where it was nearly overflowing. She carefully brought it to her lips and tilted her head back, letting the foul tasting liquid burn down her throat. She brought her head up, with an expression of disgust, and put the glass down and then sauntered back to couch where she collapsed. Lauren went to the kitchen quickly to get her water._

_Her father, brother, and Nick were howling with laughter on the sofa across from Sarah. "Sarah, sweetie, you never down a shot of liquor like that. Especially on your first time," her father told her._

_Jake grinned. "Hey Sarah, smile for the camera!" he said. Sarah lifted her head a few inches off the couch but could not put her hand up in time to block the picture being taken._

Sarah sighed as she set the bottle and glass on the side of the now filled tub. She turned and closed the doors before removing her clothes and stepping into the hot water. Sarah reached over to the oil on the shelf beside her foot, and poured three capfuls of it into the water.

She laid down in the water and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander back to her childhood friend. She hadn't told Harry about her relation to his mother yet, but when they became better friends, she would get Dumbledore or Remus to tell him. Sarah did not hesitate in saying that the boy scared her. Although she knew he couldn't lay a finger on her, Ginny's well being was at risk. Sarah had taken immediate liking to both Ginny and Hermione, and they were both her only female friends that she could relate to here.

Sarah had been debating with herself whether or not to tell Ginny about her brother. Harry was a nice boy, but his act of violence by the tree on Saturday had brought back bad memories. It reminded her once again that no one could ever really be trusted. There was a chance that they would change and become malicious, cruel, and even abusive.

Sarah very much cared about Ginny, even if she had only known her for two weeks. She supposed it was mainly because of Ginny's situation, which, to Sarah, seemed very much like her own. Telling Ginny would alert her to the danger signs Harry seemed to be showing, however, Ginny wasn't anything like Sandra Bern. Ginny was wild, bold, and outspoken. Much like Sarah. This made Sarah think that maybe she didn't need to tell her. She didn't want anyone who didn't have to know, know.

But Harry was Lauren's son. Surely he would be just as kind and caring as his mother? And his father had been one of Remus's good friends. Surely a man like Remus wouldn't have befriended anyone hostile or violent. Sarah sighed, creasing her brow in frustration.

Even if her brother had become a person Sarah never wanted to see again, it hadn't meant that he wasn't a great person at one time. She didn't regret having him in her life. She had loved Jake at one point and liked spending time with him. She had memories of him that she would never give up.

Perhaps this applied to Ginny also. Ginny would be fine, and if something happened between Harry and her, good or bad, she could deal with it. And if she couldn't, she would have Sarah and her friends and family to help her.

Sarah inhaled deeply and pour the red wine into her glass and took a sip. She smiled at her memory of her brother. Up until he turned 19, Jake had always been there for Sarah, even when her mother wasn't.

_Sarah looked out the window nervously. Her date would be here any minute. Kevin Miller was the most attractive man in her year. He was very tan and had dirty blond hair and perfect blue eyes. Sarah's innocent flirting had paid off. He had asked her to the Valentines day dance a week before._

_Sarah groaned when she looked at the clock. He would be here any minute and Sarah didn't even have her dress on! She yanked open her closet door and grabbed the short red dress from inside. She put it on as fast as she could, and then raced to her dresser to put on her makeup. _

_Almost exactly when she finished, the door bell rang. Sarah raced down the stairs and tried to leave unnoticed but her mom made that impossible, since she was standing by the door just in time to answer it before Sarah._

_"Oh Kevin! How are you? Is your mother well?" Mrs. Bern asked._

_Kevin gave Sarah's mom a friendly smile. "Yes, she's fine. These are for you, Mrs. Bern," Kevin said, giving her mother a small bouquet of flowers. He looked at Sarah with an even bigger smile, and gave her a dozen red roses._

_Sarah blushed. "Thank you," she said softly and gave the roses to her mother to put in water. She and Kevin walked to his car and drove to the dance. Kevin was 16 years old and 3 years older then Sarah. She was only allowed to date him because her mother was very close to Kevin's mom._

_The dance was fun, but since it was at the high school and everyone was older than her, Sarah felt inferior and vulnerable. She tried to push her feelings aside and get along with Kevin's friends. _

_At the end of the dance, Kevin drove her to get a bite to eat at an Italian restaurant close to home. Sarah could talk to him easily, because they had been friends longer than they had been dating. Because of this Sarah enjoyed dinner much more than the dance. _

_"I had an awesome time tonight, Sarah," Kevin told her on her door step. All the lights in the house were out, so Sarah knew her mother hadn't waited up for her._

_Sarah cleared her throat and smiled. "Me too."_

_Kevin leaned in a little and tilted his head to the side. Sarah knew what was coming. He brushed his lips up to her and then stepped back._

_"I'll see you tomorrow after school. Bye Sarah!" Kevin said and kissed her on the cheek quickly. Sarah watched him until she heard the rearing of his car engine and he drove off. Sarah smiled. That had been her first kiss. It was not as she had always imagined it would be, but at least she had had it. _

_About a month after that when she was at a football game looking for Kevin, she found him sitting under the bleachers with a girl older than Sarah, making out. Sarah was devastated, as it had been her first real breakup, she hadn't expected it at all. She ran home as fast as she could, not going in the house. She didn't want her mother asking her a million questions. Her mom would just make her feel worse at a time like this. _

_She laid on the porch swing and cried. She waited for her brother to come home from work, and when he did, he saw her and used the front door instead of going through the garage. _

_"Sarah?" Jake asked softly._

_Sarah looked up. Her eyes and nosed were red, her face was tear streaked, and she had mascara running down her cheeks. "Kevin…"_

_Jake sighed and set his school bag down beside the swing as he sat down next to her. "I'm sorry, Sarah. But I don't think he was the one for you anyway."_

_"Why do you say that?" Sarah asked, wiping a tear from her eye and sitting up._

_Jake shrugged. "He didn't have that look in his eye that you get when you're in love."_

_"What look?" Sarah asked. "How can you tell?"_

_"The way mom looks at dad. The little twinkle in her eye that she gets when he sings to her." _

_"I always thought that that was her tearing up!"_

_"It may have been. But when she looks at him, you can tell, can't you?" Jake asked, smiling a little. Sarah nodded. "Don't worry, you'll find the perfect guy Sarah. I promise." _

_"What if he doesn't love me back?" Sarah asked, more tears spring up into her eyes at the thought._

_Jake leaned over and kissed the top of Sarah's head. "Any guy that doesn't fall madly in love with you is crazy, Sarah. And you don't want to be dating anyone crazy, so that must mean that that guy isn't for you."_

Sarah took another sip of wine and smiled. She still hadn't found that special guy yet, but somehow, she still believed Jake and would always remember his promise. She would treasure Jake's memory for the rest of her life, even if he had changed into another person when he turned nineteen.

_It was very cold out, almost 0 degrees. The wind was blowing and the pretty dark brown hair of Sarah Bern whipped around her pale skin, growing more tangled by the second. She wished her mom would come to pick her up from school, but her brother made that impossible. _

_Jake had gotten very tall and muscular through the years and he used this new found power to control his family. Sarah understood by now what was going on, but it did not stop her from being nervous every time she walked home from school. She never saw any violence from him besides the time she was slammed into a wall, but only in the beginning. Sarah had pushed the memory out of her head and only thought of it when she was alone._

_Sarah stood in the gateway of the perfect white fence that guarded out deer and rabbits from eating her mother's tulips. She could see shadows moving inside the living room window but she was afraid to enter and find out if they were what she thought they were. Realizing that she could no longer stand outside in the freezing cold, she slowly walked the brick path to the front door of her small house. _

_Anxiously, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside of hell. Instantly the sound of yells and crashes and screams flooded her ears. She slammed the door shut and ran as fast as she could up the stairs. Once in her room she locked the door behind her and fell to ground, crying. _

_Sarah sobbed for over an hour, and the yelling and crashing never stopped once. Sarah wondered if their house would still be standing by the end of this fight. The tears were now unwilling to come, even though Sarah wanted them to. She wanted to cry and cry until she could no longer see._

_When she couldn't stand it any longer, she turned up her stereo as loud as it would go, and in her head she imagined herself singing the lyrics. She could sing beautifully in her mind, even if she couldn't in real life. In her imagination, she could dance better than a member of the Moscow Ballet. And she did. She drowned out her life and the outside world so that she was ok, and the only thing she could feel or taste or smell or see or hear, was the music._

_She could deal with her life that way. She never really faced her problems. Never truly grieved. She just pretended everything was okay. And then, like magic, it would be. _


	12. She Never Grew Up

Chapter 12

She Never Grew Up

Sarah gave a moan as the sunlight flooded her room. She squinted her eyes until they adjusted to the light and then she got out of bed. Remus was coming back in just two days. Sarah found herself looking forward to his arrival even if she hardly knew him.

In times of great boredom he gave Sarah something to do, which was what she wanted more than anything. Running had lost the satisfaction that it had once given Sarah. She wanted badly to go back to Hogsmeade, but she would save it for another time, when she was really bored.

So today, Sarah decided she would just wander and explore the magnificent castle. She had already covered the first floor, but she was ready for a bigger adventure. An adventure that only the Forbidden Forest could provide.

Sarah opened the doors to her closet and put on jeans and a black t-shirt. Once she had reached the grounds, she realized how hard it would actually be to enter the forest unnoticed. Sarah sighed. Her adventure was ruined. Students flooded the ground from every angle. Her only alternative was to get used to the grounds, and save her marvelous adventure for another day.

After several hours, Sarah came to the conclusion that she would have to get up very early to enter the forest. So early that teachers would still be patrolling every square foot of the area. She felt very defeated, so she merely gave up and returned to her usual spot beneath the big oak tree.

"Professor Burn! Professor Burn!" a small and high pitched voice called from the lake. Sarah frowned when she saw the very small boy next to the water. How could a little kid like that get into Hogwarts? And on top of that, how did he know her name?

Sarah approached him carefully and smiled. "Hello," she said calmly. "My name's Sarah."

"My mom said to call you Professor Burn!" He said, as if this settled the matter.

"How about we compromise and you can call me Professor Sarah?"

The boy nodded. He had curly black hair and big brown eyes. His skin was a very dark cinnamon tone. "Professor Sarah," he said, as if try it out.

Sarah smiled and nodded. She sat cross legged in front of him and he followed the suit. "What's your name?"

"Alexander Shacklebolt," he told her proudly. The name rang a bell. Wasn't Shacklebolt the guy that Remus was supposed to be staying with?

"How old are you, Alexander?" Sarah asked.

"I'm seven and you can just call me Alex."

"Alex, what are you doing here?"

"My mum told me to come out here and play. She said you would watch me if I asked. That's why I called you."

"Your mom was right," Sarah said. She glanced at the castle but saw nothing. Why was Shacklebolt's son and his wife at Hogwarts and how did they know Sarah? Had something happened to Remus.

"My dad's an Auror. Did you know that?" Alex said.

Sarah gasped. "An Auror? That's quite impressive!"

Alex nodded. "I'm an Auror too, you know."

Sarah smiled. "Really? That's amazing. You must just be off guard right now, then."

Alex nodded and he put on a tough face. "Yup! I've been battling the…the…errrr…The Eaters of Death for quite some time now."

Sarah giggled. "You must be a fantastic dueler, if you're an Auror at age seven."

"Actually, I am an _exceptional _dueler."

"Hey Alex, is that your mom?" Sarah asked, pointing at the very pretty woman with deep skin that was walking towards them.

"Yes. She's having my baby sister in two months."

"Is that so?"

Alex nodded. Sarah stood up and held out her hand to the woman. She was young, maybe 27 or 28. "Hi, I'm Sarah Burn."

"I'm Sally. Can I talk with you?" she asked. Sarah nodded.

"Do you want me to get one of my seventh year's to watch Alex?" Sarah asked. Sally nodded. "Hannah! Hannah come over here. This is Alex. Can you watch him for me? Thank you."

Sally and Sarah walked back to the tree where Sally happy demeanor changed. "You're wondering why I'm here? Remus's protest didn't go so well. He wasn't really the one who protested, you see. He and three other blokes were just organizing it."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sarah asked.

"Apparently a group of ministry employees' didn't really like the protesters sitting in the Ministry of Magic lobby every day, so she decided to end it. Instead of attacking the actual protesters, it would be easier to just kill the 4 organizers…wouldn't it?"

Sarah's eyes' widened. "So you're trying to say they killed…"

"No, no. Only one of the four was actually injured, but she should be fine. She's in St Mungo's hospital right now. Remus is in the hospital wing right now for a couple of cuts that he got on his way out."

"Wouldn't it have just been easier to just tell me this in a staff meeting?" Sarah asked.

Sally smiled. "My husband is telling the staff now, but Dumbledore wanted me to tell you separately. Kingley is talking about some more confidential things with the staff. They're all in the order and you aren't. Sorry.

"It's fine. I have no wish to join the order anyway. Can I see Remus?"

"Be my guest," Sally said and let Sarah pass. Sarah's heart was racing as to how she would find Remus. Sally hadn't given he any clues as to how scraped up Remus actually was. Thankfully he wasn't any worse then anything Sarah had seen before.

He was sitting on the edge of a bed wearing nothing but khaki trousers while Madam Pomfrey was mending a long cut on his torso. Sarah waited until she was finished before she stepped over the threshold of the door.

"Poppy! Stop. I'm _fine,_ Poppy._ Stop!_" Remus said agitated.

Sarah walked up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Don't be a baby Remus. Stop whining," she said softly. Remus looked up at her and glared. Sarah kissed his forehead and then held her finger up to her lips.

Sarah walked around the bed to the side where Remus was sitting and she got on top of the bed. She tucked her foot underneath her and then straightened her other leg out behind Remus. With one hand on his closest shoulder and her chin resting on top of it, she ran her other hand threw his hair skillfully.

Remus immediately quieted down and closed his eyes. Madam Pomfrey looked relieved and also suspicious as she finished off with Remus.

"Well Remus, you're done for today, but I want you to stay over night in case you were hit with any curses that I missed."

Remus nodded but didn't open his eyes. Madam Pomfrey looked skeptical for a moment, but she left with her usual expression. Once she had closed the curtains Sarah removed herself from Remus. He cracked one eye open at her as she sat in the seat next to the bed.

"And here I thought you were just trying to make me feel better," Remus said in a mock said voice.

Sarah grinned. "Don't be ridiculous Remus! I was just trying to shut you up."

Remus let out a warm laugh and brought his legs up on the bed. He winced as he leaned against the headboard.

"I see that they managed to hurt your back," Sarah said more seriously.

"Obviously. I wouldn't have gotten so messed up if I had fought them, but I had an agreement with Dumbledore that I wasn't allowed to do anything violent at this convention."

Sarah grinned. "If Dumbledore had to advise you not to be violent, then I wonder what you have done before to make him think it necessary to give you such a warning."

Remus grinned also. "I'm not a liberty to say."

Sarah laughed again. "Then perhaps I should join the order to find out."

"Personally, I think there are better reasons to join the order."

"None of which would be beneficial to me. Except of course, finding out what you're not at liberty to tell me."

"Were you on some kind of a debate club in school or something?"

Sarah's eyes lit up. "Of course. I was on the Debate team. I didn't really like it except that I got to argue with a bunch of people."

"How predictable," Remus said as he rolled his eyes.

A/N: there is more to this chapter, but I wasn't really in the mood to write when I wrote it, and I don't know when I will be posting again.


	13. Chapter 13

This is Alex, obviously, and I just wanted to let everyone know that I've stopped writing 'Americans have more fun' because of the 6th book. I feel really weird writing it because I've already read the real book. I am writing another fanfiction that I expect will be ready soon, and I believe it will be much better than this one, because after reading over it I have decided that this was possibly one of the worst things I've ever written. I did this fiction out of shear boredom and I didn't check or read over it or anything, so the next one will be far more interesting and w/ less mistakes. Just to let you know, Sarah is still a character my current story, but makes her appearance much, much later into it. To let you know what I had actually planned for the story, Sarah and Lupin kind of flirted for a long while and became good friends. At Christmas time they fell in love and things kind of heated up from there. In April, the war heated up even more and the ministries of Great Britain and America forced her to go home and stay there. (In my next story, this will all have happened before Harry was born, so this was during the first war and the only people that knew of Sarah and Remus were Sirius and Dumbledore) Once Harry and defeated Voldemort, Remus took a year off of just kind of doing nothing but waiting for Sarah to come back, and he gave up on her after the second year. Then he found out that through some kind of glitch in the barrier between Europe in America, Sarah had never gotten any of Remus's letters and she didn't know that the war had ended. So Remus went to look for her for 3 years and found that she had been staying with her brother, Jake (turned out he was fairly well off and had a wife and two kids). Remus stayed there for a while and Sarah and he tried dating but they realized that too many things had changed and they really weren't in love anymore so Remus went back to London and they sort of broke contact, but occasionally sent letters on Christmas or just for no reason. Not that this was how I anticipated the end of the story, but I don't like to change or twist around too many things in Canon.

Alex


End file.
